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Current Affairs 22 July 2022

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

India and Namibia Sign Historic Wildlife Conservation and Sustainable Biodiversity Utilization AgreementIndia-Namibia sign an MoU on wildlife conservation

Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Government of India (GoI) and Mrs.Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Deputy Prime Minister (PM) of Namibia and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Government of the Republic of Namibia, have signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Wildlife Conservation and Sustainable Biodiversity Utilization.

  • The MoU will allow Cheetahs to be transported to India for historic reintroduction, and this unique intercontinental translocation would be the first of its kind in the world.
  • It is signed on the sidelines of 17th CII-EXIM Bank Conclave on India- Africa Growth Partnership 2022, New Delhi. Delhi.

i. The MoU promotes Cheetah conservation in both nations by exchanging knowledge, sharing best practices for protecting wildlife, using technology, and managing a sustainable biodiversity.
ii.The MoU focuses on the conservation of biodiversity, with a particular emphasis on the conservation and restoration of Cheetahs, which were listed as extinct in India in 1952.
About Namibia:
Prime Minister – Dr. Saara Kuungongelwa-Amadhila
Capital – Windhoek
>> Read Full News

NITI Aayog Releases India Innovation Index 2021 – 3rd Edition: Karnataka, Telangana & Haryana Grabs Top 3 PositionKarnataka, Telangana and Haryana top NITI Aayog’s India Innovation Index 2021

On July 21, 2022, Suman Bery, Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India), released the third edition of the India Innovation Index 2021 at NITI Bhawan in New Delhi, Delhi.

  • Every year, the NITI Aayog and its knowledge partner, the Institute for Competitiveness, India, publish the India Innovation Index.
  • It is a comprehensive tool for the assessment and development of India’s innovation ecosystem.

India Innovation Index 2021: 3rd edition
i. The third edition of the index enhances the scope of innovation analysis in India by leveraging the framework of the Global Innovation Index (GII), which is released by WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) on a yearly basis.

  • The India Innovation Index’s first and second editions were released in October 2019 and January 2021, respectively.

ii Karnataka topped the India Innovation Index 2021 and also held its top spot in the India Innovation Index in the ‘Major States’ category for the third year in a row. It is followed by Telangana and Haryana.
iii. In the North-Eastern and hilly states, Manipur has emerged as the best performer, followed by Meghalaya and Uttarakhand.
About NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India):
CEO – Parameswaran Iyer
Establishment – 2015
>> Read Full News

NITI Aayog Releases Report on Digital Banks; Proposes a Licensing and Regulatory Regime for IndiaNITI Aayog Releases Report on Digital Banksi.The Central Government think tank, National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog releases its report on digital banks, titled ‘Digital Banks: A proposal for Licensing and Regulatory Regime for India’ offering a template and roadmap for licensing and regulatory regime for India.
ii.It focuses on avoiding any regulatory or policy arbitrage and offers a level playing field to incumbents as well as competitors.
iii.The report was released by NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery; CEO (Chief Executive Officer) Parameswaran Iyer; and Senior Adviser Anna Roy, in the presence of other officials.
iv.A digital bank would be a bank defined in the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, and will have its own balance sheet and legal existence.
v.India has made rapid strides in furthering financial inclusion. However, credit penetration remains a challenge, especially for India’s 63-million-odd MSMEs (Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises) that contribute 30% to GDP (Gross Domestic Product), 45% to manufacturing output, and 40% to exports, while creating employments.
About National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog:
It was formed via a resolution of the Union Cabinet of the Government of India.
Establishment– 1 January 2015
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
>> Read Full News

India & Maldives Signs MoU for on Judicial CooperationCabinet approves signing of MoU for judicial cooperation between India and Maldives

On 20th July 2022, the Union Cabinet of India chaired by the Prime Minister(PM) Narendra Modi approved the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the field of Judicial Cooperation between India and the Judicial Service Commission of the Republic of Maldives.

  • The MoU with Maldives is the 8th agreement signed by India with other countries in the field of judicial cooperation.

Highlights:
i.Under the MoU, both sides will exchange knowledge and technology in judicial & other legal areas and further the objectives of Neighbouring First’ policy.
ii.This provides a platform to tap the benefits of Information Technology (IT) for court digitization which leads to the potential growth of IT companies and other start-ups in both the countries.
About Maldives:
Prime Minister – H.E Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
Capital – Malé
Currency – Maldivian Rufiyaa

ICC-NE & NEDFI Signs MoU to Promote investments in North-eastICC-North East Initiative and NEDFi sign MoU to promote investment in the North EastOn 20th July 2022 Indian Chamber of Commerce – North Eastern Initiative (ICC-NE) and North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Limited (NEDFi) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to jointly work towards promoting investment in Assam and other North Eastern (NE) states.

  • The MoU was signed by Sarat Kumar Jain Chairman of ICC Assam state council and S.K. Baruah, Executive director, NEDFi in the presence of PSLVN Murty, CMD, NEDFi.

Highlights:
i.The MoU aims at contributing towards various initiatives including reforms, policy advocacy, ease of doing business, market linkages and promotion of sustainable business practices.

  • This paves way for the entrepreneurs to avail the schemes and initiatives of ICC & NEDFi and also promotes collaboration on catalysing economic development of NE region.

ii.ICC-NE and NEDFi, will collectively organise activities to create awareness among Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) on available schemes and also conducts development activities to enhance entrepreneurship development in academic and technology based sectors of NE region.

  • Both sides will also provide information related to government notifications and guidelines, tax laws and duties to members and non-members of ICC.

iii.A trade facilitation desk will be set up to facilitate trade & business at the premises of ICC-NE and capacity building of faculty and facilitation of knowledge and resource exchange in the field of skill development and entrepreneurship development will also be undertaken by ICC-NE and NEDFi.

Government of India Launched “Jute Mark India logo” to Promote Jute 

The Government of India(GoI) launched a “Jute Mark India logo” which will act as a certification of authenticity for jute products manufactured in India. Jute Mark India (JMI) scheme will offer a collective identity and assurance of origin and quality for traditional jute and jute products.
The logo was released by Union Textile Secretary Upendra Prasad Singh.

  • The logo aims to strengthen the domestic market as well as the Export of Jute products and revamp the Indian Jute Industry.
  • JMI is implemented during the ongoing Jute promotion and development scheme 2022- 2026 with a total financial outlay of Rs 485.58 crore from the GoI. 
  • National Jute Board(NJB) (headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal), the nodal agency of the Ministry of Textiles, is responsible for the promotion of jute and jute products in India and abroad. NJB is instituted under the National Jute Board Act-2008. The Secretary of the Union Ministry of Textiles is the ex-officio Chairman of NJB.

AAI Leh Airport is Being Built as Nation First Carbon-Neutral Airport

The Airports Authority of India(AAI) Leh Airport in Ladakh, is being built as India’s first carbon-neutral airport. A “Geothermal system” in hybridization with Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Plant will be provided in the New airport Terminal Building for heating and cooling purposes. This system works by exchanging heat between the air and the ground as its heat pumps are used for space heating and cooling, as well as water heating.

  • The main feature of this process is that naturally existing heat is concentrated and used. 
  • It is estimated that around 900 tons of carbon emissions per year will be reduced after adopting the Geothermal system at the Leh Airport Terminal Building project.

BANKING & FINANCE

RBI signs its renewed Statement of Commitment to the FX Global CodeRBI signs its renewed statement of commitment to the FX Global Code

On July 20, 2022, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) signed its renewed Statement of Commitment (SoC) to the FX Global Code.

  • The Code is being implemented globally by the Global FX Committee (GFXC) in co-ordination with the Local FX Committee (LFXC) in each jurisdiction.
  • FX stands for Foreign Exchange.
  • RBI is a member of GFXC.

What is FX Global Code?
The Code is a compilation of best practices for foreign exchange market participants. It was formulated by Central Banks and market participants, and was developed under the aegis of Bank for International Settlements (BIS), Basel, Switzerland.

  • It aims to promote the integrity and effective functioning of the wholesale foreign exchange market.
  • Launched on May 25, 2017, was subsequently reviewed holistically and the updated Code was published by the GFXC on July 15, 2021.
  • RBI, along with four major Central Banks such as Bank of Korea (BOK), the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS),and the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) had welcomed the publication of the Code through joint media release dated May 25, 2017.

Applicability of Code:
i.It is applicable to the Wholesale FX market participants covering sell-side, buy-side and financial intermediaries, and is voluntary in nature.
ii.It does not impose any legal or regulatory obligation. It is a supplement to the local laws, rules and regulations.
India’s Support to Code:
RBI continues to support the principles of good practices within the Code. RBI had also facilitated the formation of the India Foreign Exchange Committee (IFXC) to promote adoption and adherence of the Code among FX market participants in India.
Click Here for the Official Link

European Investment Bank joins India-led Coalition for Disaster Resilient InfrastructureEuropean Investment Bank joins India-led Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure

The European Investment Bank (EIB), the lending arm of the European Union (EU), has joined the India-led Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) as part of efforts to limit damage caused by climate change.

  • EIB also plans to double its annual investments in India from about €500 million in the next two years.

Key Points:
i.EIB has been investing in sustainable infrastructure in India and the region for more than 25 years, and its CDRI membership is expected to strengthen the India-EU connectivity partnership.
ii.The EIB will help CDRI to develop the research and knowledge-management capabilities of its members by offering advisory and financial support to CDRI members.
iii.EIB will work with national governments, United Nations (UN) agencies, multilateral development banks and the private sector that are part of CDRI to promote the development of certification relevant infrastructure resilient to climate change and natural disasters around the world.
iv.EIB, as the EU’s climate bank, also has extensive experience supporting climate action projects worldwide.
v.Multilateral development banks like the EIB will have a crucial role in mobilising private and public finance for climate adaptation projects.

  • In 2019, these institutions committed to doubling their collective total level of adaptation finance to €15 billion annually by 2025.
  • In 2020, their adaptation finance totalled €13.6 billion, up from €11.9 billion in 2019 and €10.9 billion in 2018.

vi.Since the beginning of its operations in India in 1993, the EIB has supported 17 projects in transport, energy, agriculture, fisheries and forestry with investments of nearly €4.2 billion.
vii.Notably, Developing countries currently require annual investments in climate adaptation in the range of €60 billion, and by 2030, these countries will need between €120 billion and €250 billion each year.
About CDRI:
Launched at the UN Climate Action Summit in 2019 at the initiative of India, it facilitates the sharing of knowledge and resources among its members.

  • It also helps countries meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and expand access to basic services.

About European Investment Bank (EIB):
President– Werner Hoyer
Established in – 1958
Headquarters– Luxembourg, Europe

World Bank to Fund USD 200 Million for HP Power Sector Reforms

Government of India (GOI) will provide a financing facility worth USD 200 million (around Rs. 1600 Crore) through the World Bank (WB) for the Himachal Pradesh (HP) Power Sector Development Program.

  •  The total cost of HP Power Sector Development Program will be estimated as approximately 2000 crores along with state equity.
  • The funding from the WB is expected to be available by the beginning of 2023 and the project duration will be completed in five years from 2023 – 2028.

Highlights:
i.The areas of target include improvement in utilisation of HP’s power sector resources such as Hydro & Solar, improvement in the reliability of power grid at the transmission & distribution level and strengthening of institutional capabilities of various power utilities or agencies in HP.
ii.This program will be finalised by the WB and the Department of MPP & Power, HP, under which efforts are taken towards the integrated resource planning.

  • This allows comprehensive resource planning of the power sector, technical utilisation of existing hydropower assets for integrating with other renewable resources, piloting demand response management and establishing a single trading desk.

About World Bank (WB):
President – David Malpass
Established in  – 1944
Headquarters – Washington D.C, United States (US)
Members – 189 member countries

NDB Approves 5 New Projects Worth USD 875 Million for Various Departments in Brazil, China & IndiaNDB approves USD 875 million for water, sanitation, ecotourism and transport in Brazil, China and IndiaThe New Development Bank (NDB) has approved 5 new projects, worth USD 875 million, for water, sanitation, eco-tourism and transport. This investment will that support investment commitment by Brazil, China and India toward Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
Highlights:
i.Brazil – NDB will channel USD 300 million for the projects that will be implemented by São Paulo state utility SABESP, a water and sanitation company.

  • The projects include connecting 592,000 households to water supply, 727,000 to sewage collection networks in São Paulo (Brazil) and also promotes environmental protection through waste water treatment and other environmental development.

ii.China – NDB approved invested EUR 265 million for the expansion of the Lanzhou Zhongchuan International Airport and Renminbi (RMB) 805 million for the expansion of the Xi’an Xianyang International Airport which leads to energy conservation, low carbon emission and optimization of resource consumption.

  • These two projects will also contribute to the construction of 5 new runways with taxiway system, 2 new terminal buildings, an apron with 187 aircraft stands, cargo facilities and supporting infrastructure.
  • After the expansion of the airports, the number of flying passengers will increase by over 4 times to 38 million at Lanzhou Zhongchuan International Airport and over 3 times to 83 million at Xi’an Xianyang International Airport.

iii.India – NDB has approved USD 79 million for the Meghalaya Ecotourism Infrastructure Development project which will contribute to the development of 5 eco-tourism circuits including construction of 114 km of roads and bridges.

  • NDB will has also direct approved another USD 70 million to Lamphelpat Waterbody Rejuvenation project that contributes to the development of the waterbody, greenspaces and tourism facilities.
  • For the improvement of efficiency in flood prevention and for the timely recovery of flood-affected regions, a technology-driven real-time flood management with early warning capacity will also be set up.

About New Development Bank (NDB):
NDB is a multilateral development bank established by the BRICS states (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa).
Chair – China
Establishment – July 2015
Headquarters – Shanghai, China

IndusInd Bank & EazyDiner Partners to Launch Co-branded Credit Card IndusInd Bank, EazyDiner partner to launch a co-branded credit card

On 21st July 2022, IndusInd bank and EasyDiner partnered to launch EasyDiner IndusInd Bank Credit Card, a co-branded credit card that aims at enhancing customers dining experience.
Benefits:
i.The benefits includes a complimentary 1- year EasyDiner prime membership which offers 25 % discount across 2000 restaurants with an initial welcome bonus of 2000 reward points.

  • An additional 25 % discount is given to the customers on dining every time when the customer pays the bill using EasyDiner app via PayEazy.
  • Complimentary premium of alcohol beverage for every diner on the table at over 200 restaurants.

ii.Customers earn 10 reward points for every Rs.100 spent on dining, entertainment and shopping.

  • The 3X EazyPoints (reward points) can be redeemed against hotel stays, meals, exclusive restaurant openings and any events across India.

iii.The cardholder also receives a complimentary stay voucher worth Rs. 5000 at ‘The Postcard Hotel’ across India, Sri Lanka and Bhutan and also complimentary domestic lounge visits per quarter at airports across India.
About IndusInd Bank:
Managing Director (MD) & CEO – Sumant Kathpalia
Establishment – 1994
Headquarters – Pune, Maharashtra

SBI to Raise Rs. 11,000 Crore in Basel III Bonds in FY23SBI board approves Rs 11,000 cr capital raise via AT1, tier-II bonds

The State Bank of India (SBI), the largest lender in India, has received approval from its Board of Directors to issue bonds to raise up to Rs. 11,000 crores via additional tier-I and tier II bonds during the current fiscal year 2022–23 (FY23).

  • Of the total earmarked fund-raise, the approval is for additional tier-1 (AT-1) capital up to Rs. 7,000 crore, subject to concurrence from the Government of India (GoI).
  • The remaining Rs. 4,000 crore will be in the form of tier-2 capital.

SBI is raising funds to meet regulatory requirements and to support business growth.
Additional Tier-1 (AT-1) Bonds

  • AT-1 bonds, often known as perpetual bonds, have no maturity date but contain a call option at the end of five years.
  • These are issued by banks to increase their core equity base and so comply with Basel III standards.

Key Points:
i. SBI’s Central Board approved the plan to raise capital through the issuance of Basel III compliant debt instruments in Indian Rupee (INR), United States Dollar (USD), or any other convertible currency.
At the end of March 2022, SBI’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) was 13.83 %, with Tier-1 at 11.42 % and Tier-2 at 2.41 %.
Other Public Sector Banks with Fund Raising Plans
i. Punjab National Bank (PNB) raised Rs. 2,000 crore in capital in early July 2022 through Tier-I bonds at an interest rate of 8.75%.
ii.Union Bank of India (UBI) and Canara Bank intend to generate Rs. 4,000 crore by issuing AT1 bonds.
iii. SBI had issued AT1 bonds in December 2021 to generate about Rs 3,974 crore.

  • The coupon on these bonds was fixed at 7.55%, which is 17 basis points lower than the bank’s previous issuance in September 2021, when it issued AT1 bonds worth Rs. 4,000 crore at 7.72%.

Note:
The SBI Board approved a proposal in May 2022 to raise up to USD 2 billion in FY23 through debt securities on the international market.

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

NHPC & DVC signs MOU to set up JVC for Exploring & Setting up Hydropower & Pump Storage ProjectsNHPC signs MoU with DVC for exploring and setting up Hydropower and Pump Storage Projects

NHPC Limited (Formerly known as National HydroElectric Power Corporation Pvt Ltd) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) to explore the formation of a Joint Venture Company (JVC) for exploring and setting up hydropower and pump storage projects.

  • The agreement was signed in the presence of Abhay Kumar Singh, Chairman and Managing Director(CMD) of  NHPC Limited, and Ram Naresh Singh, Chairman, DVC.  at NHPC Corporate Office, Faridabad, Haryana.

About MoU:
i.The two power sector organizations will work together towards harnessing the hydropower projects and pump storage projects as energy storage solutions in line with the national objective of energy transition.
Note – India is targeting to achieve  500 GW of renewable energy by 2030 and Net Zero by 2070
About NHPC Limited (National HydroElectric Power Corporation Pvt Ltd):
CMD– Abhay Kumar Singh
Founded- 1975
Headquarters- Faridabad, Haryana
About Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC):
Founded-1948
Headquarters-Kolkata, West Bengal
Chairman- Ram Naresh Singh

NASSCOM & Google Partners with ISAP to Set Up Call Centre to Help Women Farmers

NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Service Companies) Foundation along with Google has set up a call centre, “DigiVaani Call Center”, in collaboration with a not-for-profit body Indian Society of Agribusiness Professionals (ISAP) to help women farmers to scale up their business.

  • The DigiVaani Call Center is being run on a pilot basis to initially reach out to 20,000 rural women entrepreneurs across 6 states (Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana and Rajasthan). 
  • The project is being funded by Google and the decision to scale up DigiVaani will be taken after a year. Google.org, the philanthropic arm of Google provided a grant of USD 500,000 to Nasscom Foundation to promote women’s entrepreneurship.
  • DigiVaani will be one place where rural women entrepreneurs can get access to information about various schemes that can help them to scale up their businesses. 

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS      

FIH appoints Egypt’s Seif Ahmed as acting president; India’s Narinder Batra resigned as FIH President

The International Hockey Federation (Fédération Internationale de Hockey – FIH) appointed Egypt’s Seif Ahmed as its acting president after the resignation of India’s Dr Narinder Dhruv Batra from the post.

On  18 July 2022 Narinder Dhruv Batra submitted his resignation  as FIH president and also ceased to be President of the  Indian Olympic Association (IOA)

  • He also gave up  International Olympic Committee (IOC) membership which was directly linked with his IOA position.

Highlights:
i.The  FIH’s Members of the Executive Board (EB) unanimously Appointed Member and President of the African Hockey Federation Seif Ahmed (Egypt) as Acting President until the next Presidential elections.

  • The expected presidential election will take place on 5 November 2022.

About Seif Ahmed:
Seif Ahmed played for Egypt’s national team in 1968 and He has been a member of the FIH Executive Board since 2001.
About Narinder Dhruv Batra:
He served as the President of the International Hockey Federation (FIH), the President Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and was a  Member of the CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) Committee of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
Awards-

  • Vijay Ratna Award from the Prime Minister of India (1991)
  • International Hockey Federation President’s Award (2014)

Note-
India will host the FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela in January 2023.
About International Hockey Federation (FIH):
Headquarters- Lausanne, Switzerland
Founded- 1924

FSIB Recommends Rajkiran Rai G as MD of NaBFID 

Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB) has recommended Rajkiran Rai G, Former Managing Director(MD) of Union Bank of India, for the position of MD at the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID). 

  • He is the first ever candidate to be recommended by FSIB, an autonomous professional body tasked to identify the persons for appointment as Wholetime directors (WTDs) and non-executive chairpersons (NEC) in public sector banks, public sector insurers and financial institutions. 
  • NaBFID is a newly created Development Finance Institution (DFI) which aims to support the development of long-term non-recourse infrastructure financing. The government of India had infused Rs 20000 crore into NaBFID. 
  • FSIB had subsumed the Banks Board Bureau, which now ceases to exist.    

Prime Minister of Italy Mario Draghi ResignedItalian Prime Minister Mario Draghi resigns

On 21 July 2022, the Prime Minister (PM) of Italy, Mario Draghi submitted his resignation to President Sergio Mattarella after the withdrawal of support of key coalition parties.

  • He will remain as the caretaker Prime Minister until a new leader is appointed.
  • The legislature’s current 5-year term is due to expire in 2023.

i.The new election will be held at the end of September and beginning of October 2022. However the official dissolution of parliament was not announced by the President.
About Mario Draghi:
i.He is an Italian economist, banker, former professor and civil servant. He was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Italy in February 2021.
ii.Prior to his appointment as PM, he served as President of the European Central Bank (ECB) between 2011 and 2019.
iii.He  also Chaired the Financial Stability Board between 2009 and 2011, and was Governor of the Bank of Italy between 2006 and 2011.
iv.He served as General Director of the Italian Treasury for ten years, from 1991 to 2001.
About Italy:
Capital-Rome
Currency- Euro

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

PM Modi unveils ‘Varuna’, India’s First Human Passenger DroneIndian start-up makes pilot-less drone for Indian Navy PM Modi unveils Varuna

Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi unveiled the pilotless drone “Varuna” -India’s first indigenous human passenger drone during Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO) seminar ‘Swavlamban’ at Dr Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi, Delhi.   It was developed by a start-up, Sagar Defence Engineering. It has the capacity of carrying one human inside.
The Prime Minister addressed the Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO) seminar ‘Swavlamban’ which took place at Dr Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi.
About Varuna:
i.It has a range of 25 kms with a carrying capacity of payload of 130 kgs and around 25-33 minutes of flight time.

  • There are four auto-pilot models which help the drone to continue flying even if some fans fail to function.

ii.It also has the capability to be used for inter-ship transfer of material and personnel. It is capable of carrying out autonomous take-off and landing even when the ships are moving.
iii.Drone was made specifically for the use by the Indian Navy.
iv.It is developed in two parts- first is the technology which helps it to land and take off from moving warships and second is the platform itself.

  • The Varuna is currently being developed along with NTDAC (Naval Technology Development acceleration cell).

Note– It is the first time that the Indian Navy inducted drones on warships. Around 30 such drones which can land and take off from warships are delivered to the Navy.

OBITUARY

Former New Zealand Cricket Captain Barry Sinclair Passed Away

Former New Zealand cricket captain and batter Barry Sinclair passed away at the age of 85 in Wellington, New Zealand. He was born on 23rd October 1936 in Wellington, New Zealand. He captained the team in 3 Tests, initially taking over from injured Murray Chapple on the 2nd Test against England at Dunedin in 1966, retaining them for the final Test of the series at Auckland, and for the next Test against India. 

  • He played 21 Tests for New Zealand between 1963 and 1968 and scored 1148 runs at 29.43. This includes 3 centuries – against South Africa, Pakistan and England.
  • He had played 68 first-class matches for Wellington, scoring 3,583 runs at 35.12, including two centuries and 26 half centuries. Totally, he played 118 first-class games, aggregating 6,114 runs at 32.87(including six centuries and 38 half centuries). 

IMPORTANT DAYS

UN’s First International Moon Day – 20th July 2022nternational Moon Day - July 2022 20
United Nations(UN) designated International Moon Day is annually celebrated on 20 July to commemorate the anniversary of the first landing of the lunar surface by humans on July 20, 1969, with the United States’ Apollo 11 mission.

  • 20th July 2022 marks the first-ever observance of International Moon Day.

i.The aim behind observing this day is to reach the general public, specially our young generations and teach them about astrology and astronomy.
ii.The celebrations will also consider the achievements of all States in the exploration of the Moon and raise public awareness of sustainable Moon exploration and utilization.
Theme for International Moon Day 2022- ‘Lunar Exploration Coordination & Sustainability’.

  • It is chosen to educate the public about the importance of sustainable lunar exploration.

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S.noCurrent Affairs 22 July 2022
1India and Namibia Sign Historic Wildlife Conservation and Sustainable Biodiversity Utilization Agreement
2NITI Aayog Releases India Innovation Index 2021 – 3rd Edition: Karnataka, Telangana & Haryana Grabs Top 3 Position
3NITI Aayog Releases Report on Digital Banks; Proposes a Licensing and Regulatory Regime for India
4India & Maldives Signs MoU for on Judicial Cooperation
5ICC-NE & NEDFI Signs MoU to Promote investments in North-east
6Government of India Launched “Jute Mark India logo” to Promote Jute
7AAI Leh Airport is Being Built as Nation First Carbon-Neutral Airport
8RBI signs its renewed Statement of Commitment to the FX Global Code
9European Investment Bank joins India-led Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure
10World Bank to Fund USD 200 Million for HP Power Sector Reforms
11NDB Approves 5 New Projects Worth USD 875 Million for Various Departments in Brazil, China & India
12IndusInd Bank & EazyDiner Partners to Launch Co-branded Credit Card
13SBI to Raise Rs. 11,000 Crore in Basel III Bonds in FY23
14NHPC & DVC signs MOU to set up JVC for Exploring & Setting up Hydropower & Pump Storage Projects
15NASSCOM & Google Partners with ISAP to Set Up Call Centre to Help Women Farmers
16FIH appoints Egypt’s Seif Ahmed as acting president; India’s Narinder Batra resigned as FIH President
17FSIB Recommends Rajkiran Rai G as MD of NaBFID
18Prime Minister of Italy Mario Draghi Resigned
19PM Modi unveils ‘Varuna’, India’s First Human Passenger Drone
20Former New Zealand Cricket Captain Barry Sinclair Passed Away
21UN’s First International Moon Day – 20th July 2022