Current Affairs 5 May 2022

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 5 May  2022, which have unique updates of Latest Current Affairs 2022 events from all newspapers such as The Hindu, The Economic Times, PIB, Times of India, PTI, Indian Express, Business Standard and all Government official websites.

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

RPF Launches  “Operation Satark”  For Focused Effort From 5th to 30th April 2022Indian Railways, being the primary transporter of the nation, is likely to be used by tax evaders, smugglers, gun runners, and forces inimical to the nation to transport illegal items to different parts of the country for acting on their nefarious designs. Railway Protection Force (RPF) is alive to this and has recently started “Operation Satark”. 
Objective
For taking action against illicit liquor, fake currency circulation,illegal tobacco products, unaccounted gold or cash or precious items, and any other items being transported through railway network for the purpose of tax evasion or smuggling or commission of crime or acts of terror.
In News
i.Indian Railways is the life line of the nation and RPF, being the sentinels on the rail, will leave no stone unturned to keep it safe and disallow its use for nefarious activities.
ii.Being aware of its responsibility as the first responder in cases of smuggling through rail, RPF took concerted action in such cases and seized smuggled items worth about Rs. 3.18 Crores during 5th to 30th April 2022.
iii. Focused effort under “Operation Satark” was launched from 5th April to 30th April 2022 wherein 26 cases of transportation of illegal tobacco products were detected with seizure of tobacco products worth more than Rs 44 Lakhs and arrest of 14 persons involved.

RailTel establishes Mobile Container Hospital in Andhra PradeshOn May 2, 2022, The RailTel Corporation of India Limited, in a major step to serve the requirements of the healthcare industry, designed and established a “Health Cloud”, a Mobile container Hospital at the Visakhapatnam premises of Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone (AMTZ), Andhra Pradesh.

• AMTZ is the world’s first integrated Medical Device Manufacturing Hub situated in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

Dignitaries Present:
i.The “Health Cloud” at AMTZ has been inaugurated by Ms. Louise Agersnap, Head of World Health Organisation (WHO) Innovation Hub, WHO-Geneva, Switzerland.
ii.The event saw the presence of Dr Jitendra Sharma, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, AMTZ, Manohar Raja, Executive Director, RailTel, and Rajiv Nath, Forum Coordinator, Association of Indian Manufacturers of Medical Devices (AiMeD).
Key Points:
i.The Health Cloud is a dedicated “Data Centre” catering to the specific and idiosyncratic needs of the Health sector ready-to-operationalise in remote areas.
ii.The partnership also intends to develop and facilitate advanced digital health services and initiatives such as EMRA (Electronic Medical Record Alliance), Radiology Imaging Services, Health Digital Data Fiduciary Services etc. facilitating seamless integration of medical equipment, medical processes and various IP systems and applications connected with the health services. 
iii.The RailTel corporation provided the complete technological support for teleconsultation solutions for Mobile Container Hospital. It can also be operationalised on the wheels.
iv.It fully addresses the concerns of privacy, security and sovereignty related to the health data and complies fully with the ecosystem of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).
v.It comes with a Health ATM to dispense the medicines through Mobile App having digital payment interface. 
About Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone (AMTZ):
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer – Dr. Jitendra Sharma 
Headquarters – Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
About RailTel Corporation of India Limited:
It is a “Mini Ratna (Category-I)” Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Railways and is one of the largest neutral telecom infrastructure providers in the country owning a Pan-India optic fibre network on exclusive Right of Way (ROW) along Railway track.
Chairman and Managing Director – Puneet Chawla
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi

PM Modi inaugurates Global Patidar Business Summit 2022 in Surat, Gujarat

Prime Minister(PM) Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated the Global Patidar Business Summit (GPBS) 2022 in Surat, Gujarat. GPBS 2022, the 3-day summit, is organised by Sardardham under the Mission–2026 to provide an impetus to the socio-economic development of Patidar community. GPBS 2022 was held at Sarsana Convention Centre, Surat, Gujarat from 29th April to 1st May 2022. 

• GPBS 2022 aims to bring together small, medium and large enterprises within the community; to nurture and support new entrepreneurs and provide training; and employment assistance to the educated youth.
• The main theme of GPBS-2022 is “Aatmanirbhar Community to Aatmanirbhar Gujarat and India”.
• The biennial summit was previously conducted in 2018 and 2020 and both the summit were held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

India falls to 150th in RSF’s 20th World Press Freedom Index 2022; Norway Tops

i.On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) i.e. on May 3, 2022, the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) released its 20th World Press Freedom Index (WPFI) 2022 stating a fall in India’s press freedom ranking to 150th with a score of 41 in the 2022 from 142nd  in 2021 out of 180 countries.
ii.The list has been topped by Norway (1st) with a score of 92.65 and followed by Denmark (2nd), Sweden (3rd) Estonia (4th) and Finland (5th).
iii.North Korea remained at the bottom of the list(i.e.180th rank).
iv.WPFD 2022 was observed on the theme ‘Journalism under digital siege’. Click Here to Read 
About Reporters Without Borders (RSF):
Secretary-General– Christophe Deloire 
Headquarters– Paris, France
>> Read Full News

India stays out of global declaration on future on Internet

India is not one of the 61 countries that have signed a worldwide declaration calling for the Internet to remain open, free, and neutral. The United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, and France are among the countries that have signed the declaration. The ‘Declaration for the Future of the Internet,‘ as it is known, is a manifesto that aims to prevent digital totalitarianism.
What does the “Declaration for the Future of the Internet” mean?
i.The European Union, the United States, and a group of international partners have proposed a Declaration for the Future of the Internet, which lays out the vision and principles for a trusted Internet.
ii.The declaration emphasises that the future of the Internet is open, free, global, interoperable, reliable and secure and affirms that the nations abiding by this commitment would be protecting and respecting human rights online and across the digital world.

• India opts to not sign the declaration along with China and Russia.

Key Commitment in the declaration

• Protect human rights and fundamental freedoms of all people;
• Promote a global Internet that advances the free flow of information;
• Advance inclusive and affordable connectivity so that all people can benefit from the digital economy;
• Promote trust in the global digital ecosystem, including through the protection of privacy; and
• Protect and strengthen the multi-stakeholder approach to governance that keeps the Internet running for the benefit of all.

Appraisal on India’s stance to stay out of the declaration
i.Such stance comes in the backdrop of a recent report from digital rights advocacy group Access Now said India is the top country to impose internet shutdowns in 2021 for the fourth consecutive year.
Major Signatories
Countries including Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cabo Verde, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Estonia, the European Commission and Finland are signatories.

BANKING & FINANCE

SEBI Modifies Operational Guidelines for FPIs, Depository Participants; Slaps Rs 6 lakh fine on Pace Stock Broking in NSE Co-Location Case 

i.On April 29, 2022, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has modified the operational guidelines, issued in November 2019, for Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs), Designated Depository Participants (DDPs), and Eligible Foreign Investors pertaining to Certificate of Registration, and Name change w.e.f. May 9, 2022.
ii.This modification by SEBI has been done by exercising its powers conferred under Section 11 (1) of the SEBI Act, 1992.
iii.These will be applicable from May 9, 2022. 
iv.SEBI imposed Rs 6 lakh penalty on New Delhi (Delhi)-based Pace Stock Broking Services for malpractices related to National Stock Exchange’s (NSE) co-location facility.
About Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI):
Chairperson– Madhabi Puri Buch
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra.
>> Read Full News

IIFL & Open Financial Technologies Forms JV To Launch India’s First Neo-bank for MSMEs

IIFL Finance Limited, a Non-Banking Finance Company (NBFC) and Open Financial Technologies Private Ltd, Asia’s largest Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) focused neo-banking platform have entered into a joint venture (JV) to launch India’s first neo-bank to serve the banking and credit requirements of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). 

• The new joint venture would be known as “IIFL Open Fintech Private Limited”, with an initial capital of Rs. 120 crores.  The ratio of IIFL Finance to Open Financial Technologies Private Ltd. in the joint venture is 51:49. 

In India, there are 63.3 million MSMEs, with 99% of them being micro enterprises. One of the reasons for the sector’s underserved status is a lack of data for credit assessment.

• To satisfy this requirement, IIFL Finance will utilize Open Financial Technologies Private Ltd. consumer neo-banking platform to provide more services to its clients.

What is a Neo-Bank?  
A neo-bank is a type of digital bank that does not have any physical locations. They use artificial intelligence and technology to provide personalized services to clients while lowering operating expenses.
Salient Features:
i.This neo-bank offers a one-of-a-kind User Interface (UI) system designed specifically for small merchants.
ii.It will provide an alternative to traditional banking by providing a simple banking interface and seamless interaction with accounting, finance, and payroll, among other things.
iii. Customers will also be able to apply for credit from IIFL Finance on the app. These customers will also have access to personalised savings, insurance, payment, card, and other solutions.
iv.For providing technical services to the JV, Open Financial Technologies Private Ltd. would get a recurring annual SAAS (Software as a service) fee per customer through this JV.
About IIFL Finance Limited:
IIFL Finance is a retail-focused NBFC that operates in the loan and mortgage market with its subsidiaries IIFL Home Finance and IIFL Samasta Finance.
Managing Director(MD) – Venkatraman Rajamani
Establishment – 1995
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra

FISME & Eqaro Inks MoU to Launch India’s First Collateral Free Digital Lending Platform for MSMEs

The Federation of Indian Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (FISME), India’s largest MSMEs organisation, has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Eqaro Guarantees, an Indian financial institution that provides surety solutions, to establish India’s first collateral free digital financing platform for MSMEs.
The platform is set to begin in 2022 and would allow MSMEs with access to collateral-free finance of up to Rs. 25 lakhs following due diligence of their businesses. The credit would be backed by guarantees from Eqaro.
The MoU was signed between Prashant Patel, founder of FISME and Eqaro’s Chief Executive Officer Vikash Khandelwal.
Features:
i.This facility functions as an overdraft, with a limit of Rs. 25 lakhs, that can be used at anytime from anywhere by an MSME in need of funds.
ii.Due to the fact that lending has always been based on collateral, this unique and first-of-its-kind initiative in India would allow MSMEs gain quicker access to finance backed by a surety guarantee without having to put up collateral.

• A surety is essentially a risk transfer mechanism in which the surety firm guarantees the contractor’s performance to the project owner.
• While surety guarantees are a well-established financial instrument in developed nations such as the United States, they are still in their budding stage in India.

iii. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman indicated in her 2022 budget speech that surety bonds would be accepted as an alternative for bank guarantees in government purchases. 

• As a result, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDAI) has established a framework for insurance companies to issue surety bonds.

About Federation of Indian Micro and Small & Medium Enterprises (FISME):
President – Prashant Patel 
Establishment – 1995
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi
About Eqaro Guarantees:
India’s First & Only Surety Company providing the entire range of guaranteeing solutions.
CEO – Vikash Khandelwal
Establishment – 2019
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra

Canara Bank launches Skill Loans in association with ASAP 

Canara Bank has launched ‘skill loans’ in association with the Additional Skill Acquisition Programme (ASAP), Kerala the government company under the Higher Education Department.  The loan was launched by Dr R.Bindu Kerala’s Minister for Higher Education in the presence of S. Premkumar, General Manager of Canara Bank and convener of State Level Bankers’ Committee(Kerala). 

• Students pursuing skill training programmes offered by ASAP Kerala or other Central or State government-recognised agencies conducting National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) or National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) courses can avail of loans ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh. 
• The loans will also be provided to students interested in pursuing skill training programmes. 
• This loan will be provided without any collateral and has a repayment period of 3 to 7 years. 

• Students can also avail themselves of a moratorium on repayment for the duration of the course and for an additional 6 months.

SEBI Imposed Rs 73 lakh on 11 Entities for fraudulent Trading and Disclosure Lapses

Securities and Exchange Board of India(SEBI) imposed penalties totalling Rs 73 lakh on 11 entities for fraudulent trading and disclosure lapses. SEBI has imposed a Rs 17 lakh fine on Esteem Bio Organic Food Processing Ltd; Rs 8 lakh on Brij Kishore Sabharwal; Rs 7 lakh on Goldline International Finvest Ltd; Rs 6 lakh on Vinod Kumar Garg and Rs 5 lakh each on Satendra Kumar, Madhukar Dubey, Ram Prakash, Avisha Credit Capital Pvt Ltd, Neel Kanth Trading Co, Amsons Apparels Pvt Ltd and Gracious Software Pvt Ltd.

• In a separate order, SEBI levied a fine of Rs 20 lakh on Karvy Capital Limited and Rs 10 lakh on Vistra ITCL Ltd for flouting norms with respect to the issuance of non-convertible debentures.
• SEBI also imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on Ambrikav Bizcom for non-genuine trades in illiquid stock options on BSE which violates the provisions of PFUTP (Prohibition of Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practices) norms. 

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Ayana Renewable Power and Greenstat Hydrogen India Partners to Develop Green Hydrogen ProjectsThe National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) backed Ayana Renewable Power Private Limited (Ayana) and Norway-based Greenstat ASA’s subsidiary Greenstat Hydrogen India Private Limited, have entered into a joint development agreement for development of Green Hydrogen Projects powered by renewable energy in India.
Note: By 2050, India aims to produce three fourths of its hydrogen from renewable energy sources.
Key Points:
i.The companies under the collaboration, will develop large scale green hydrogen solutions, to provide long term supply of green hydrogen to industrial and commercial customers in India. 
ii.An initial pilot project will be launched in Karnataka.
iii.The partnership is inline with the National Hydrogen Mission with an aim to make India a global hub for production and export of green hydrogen.
About Ayana Renewable Power Private Limited:
i.Ayana Renewable Power was founded in 2018 and the majority stock was owned by the NIIF, and the British International Investment (formerly CDC Group), the UK’s development finance institution, and EverSource Capital managed Green Growth Equity Fund (GGEF) are other shareholders in the platform.
Headquarters – Bengaluru, Karnataka
Chairman – S.S. Mundra
MD & CEO – Shivanand Nimbargi

India Gets Its 100th Unicorn Start-Up as Neo-Bank ‘Open’ Crosses USD 1 Bn

Open Financial Technologies Pvt Ltd, a neo-banking start-up, reached a valuation of USD 1 billion (bn) after its Series D round of fundraising, bringing the total number of Unicorns in the Indian start-up ecosystem to 100.
In a Series D funding round, Open Financial Technologies Private Ltd. received USD 50 million from IIFL Finance Ltd, along with existing investors – Singaporean state holding company Temasek, American investment firm Tiger Global, and another Indian firm, 3one4 Capital. This contributed to its valuation exceeding USD 1 billion.
Unicorn: A privately held start-up company with a valuation of over $1 billion is referred to as a “unicorn” in the venture capital industry.
Note: 

• Neo-Bank: It is a type of digital bank that does not have any physical locations. It provides customers with a more affordable alternative to traditional banks.
• InMobi, a mobile ad platform, was the first unicorn to be declared in 2011.

Indian Unicorn Landscape with 100 Unicorns
i.According to the Economic Survey, 2021-22, this funding reflects the enthusiasm in India’s start-up ecosystem, which is the world’s third-largest after the United States of America (USA) and China, and India has overtaken the United Kingdom to reach the spot.

• As of March 25, 2022, India had 94 unicorns with a total valuation of USD 319.67 billion.

ii.The Sector in the Lead: Fintech is the second start-up sector to surpass the 20-unicorn milestone, following e-commerce, which has 23 unicorns. With 17 unicorns from the sector, enterprise tech is on track to join the club next.
iii. According to data from Venture Intelligence, Indian start-ups raised more than USD 10 billion in the first quarter of 2022, up from USD 5.7 billion in the same period of 2021.
Accomplishments of Open Financial Technologies Private Ltd.:
i.With this new strategic investment from IIFL Finance Ltd, Open Financial Technologies Private Ltd. will be able to expand its product offerings to small and medium-sized enterprises.
ii.Open Financial Technologies Private Ltd. has become not only India’s 100th unicorn, but also the fintech sector’s 20th unicorn. Apart from that, Open Financial Technologies Private Ltd. is the third neo-banking start-up to join the club, following Zeta and Razorpay, both of which provide neo-banking services.
iii. Open Financial Technologies Private Ltd. plans to launch three new SME lending products, including “Open Flo,” a revenue-based financing product for ecommerce enterprises, “Open Settl,” an early settlement credit offering, and “Open Capital,” a working capital lending offering for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
About Open Financial Technologies Pvt Ltd:
Founder & CEO – Anish Achuthan
Establishment – 2017
Headquarters – Bengaluru, Karnataka 

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS   

IBM Chairman & CEO Arvind Krishna Elected to the Board of Directors of Federal Reserve Bank of New YorkArvind Krishna, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of IBM (International Business Machines Corporation) was elected to the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York(New York Fed), New York, United States of America(USA), to fill the vacancy in the office for the remaining period of a 3-year term which ends on 31st December 2023.  

• He has been elected as a Class B director, representing the public with due but not exclusive consideration to the interests of agriculture, commerce, industry, service, labour and consumers. 

About Arvind Krishna:
i.Arvind Krishna has been serving as the Chairman and CEO of IBM Since January 2021 succeeding IBM Executive Chairman Virginia M. Rometty. Previously, he served as the CEO and a member of the board of IBM. 
ii.He also holds 15 patents and founded the security software business of IBM.
iii.He has also served as the senior vice president of Cloud and Cognitive Software,
iv.He is a member of the Business Council, the Business Roundtable and serves as Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum(WEF)’s Global artificial intelligence (AI) Action Alliance(GAIA).
About Federal Reserve Bank of New York (New York Fed): 
Federal Reserve Bank of New York, within the Federal Reserve System, is one of the 12 Regional Reserve Banks. 
The Federal system is an independent governmental entity created in 1913 to serve as the central bank of the United States.
President & CEO– John C. Williams
Headquarters– New York, United States of America(USA)   

Nand Mulchandani 1st Indian-origin Person Appointed as 1st ever CTO of CIA 

Ambassador William J. Burns, Director of Central Intelligence Agency(CIA) appointed Nand Mulchandani, an Indian Origin Person, as the first-ever Chief Technology Officer(CTO) of the CIA, the foreign intelligence and counterintelligence agency of the United States of America(USA). He also becomes the first-ever Indian Origin(Delhi) Person to become the CTO of the CIA. 

Former Petroleum Secretary Tarun Kapoor Appointed as PM’s Adviser 

Tarun Kapoor (IAS officer of 1987 batch, Himachal Pradesh cadre), who retired as the Secretary to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas(MoPNG) was appointed as the adviser to Prime Minister(PM) Narendra Modi.  He was appointed to the post initially for a period of 2 years from the date of joining or until further orders, whichever is earlier. 

• The position of PM’s adviser was vacant since February following the retirement of IAS officer Bhaskar Khulbe. 

Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Tarun Kapoor along with 2 other appointments: Atish Chandra (a 1994-batch IAS officer but from the Bihar cadre) and Hari Ranjan Rao (a 1994-batch IAS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre) were appointed to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on the Additional Secretary level.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

China’s Wuxi Warships Fired New Mystery Missile

The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) of China launched an unidentified/mysterious missile from its Type 055 (Renhai Class) guided-missile cruiser on April 19, 2022. According to experts, the new missile is expected to be an anti-ship ballistic missile known as the YJ-21.

• The YJ-21 was launched from the warship Wuxi, a Type 055 cruiser that had been commissioned in March 2022 in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China. The fact that it was launched from an active-duty ship suggests that the missile is probably certainly now in People’s Liberation Army (PLA) service, China.

If the initial YJ-21 analysis is true, China will be the first country in the world to deploy such a missile from a navy vessel.
Assumptions About the Mysterious Missile:
i.This new Chinese weapon has bi-conic snout and small fins. The missile’s small control surface indicates that it is not a surface-to-air missile (SAM), which is meant to hit fast-moving aircraft and is highly manoeuvrable.
ii.The YJ-21 was cold-launched from Wuxi’s stern vertical launch system (VLS), which means it was propelled from the launcher cell by gas before the missile’s own engine ignited after it was in the air and clear of the ship.

iii. The YJ-21’s exact parameters are unclear; however, its range could be somewhere between 1,000 and 1,500 kilometres. The terminal velocity of the YJ-21 is Mach 10, or ten times the speed of sound.

• With this range, the missile can deliver a heavy payload while punching through the flight deck of an aircraft carrier, killing it instantaneously.

iv.The YJ-21 is similar to Russia’s Iskander short-range ballistic missile, which has been employed against Ukraine in recent weeks, and may have been evolved from the Chinese CM-401 missile, which debuted in 2018.
v.The sudden debut of YJ-21 coincides with a prediction by the US Department of Defense (DoD) for China to equip its Type 055 cruisers with such missiles in 2020.
Note: 

• Prior to PLA’s 73rd founding anniversary on April 23, 2022, China has added three new warships to its People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy.
• The DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile was previously reported to have been deployed by the PLA. It was, however, launched using land-based vehicles.

IIT Hyderabad Demonstrates Extreme Massive MIMO technology

On 2nd May 2022, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad announced the demonstration of the Extreme Massive (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output) MIMO, a vital technology which is being considered for 5G advanced and 6G deployment. 

Extreme massive MIMO refers to next-generation technology that uses very large antenna arrays.

• Massive MIMO involves deployment of MIMO on larger scale in the interest of greater network coverage and data carrying capacity. 
• IIT Hyderabad has developed an experimental research prototype with the aim to discover achievable performance limits.

Key Points:
i.The first set of pilots which was conducted using 192 antennas and 48 radio frequency chains showed that up to 24 to 36 users could be served in the same spectrum. 
ii.This is a 3-time improvement over the state of the art 5G massive MIMO technology designed to support 12 simultaneous users.
iii.The antennas for MIMO technology are comparatively smaller than the conventional telecom equipments, reducing the physical footprint of telecom infrastructure. 
Benefits of MIMO: 
i.MIMO will increase the coverage and capacity of cellular networks using multiple antennas at the base station. 
ii.This technique can be used to send multiple data signals simultaneously on the same channels, making optimum use of spectrum, which is becoming an increasingly scarce resource. 
iii.This technology has become the mainstream and an integral part of 5G. 
for cellular operators and users, this technology will offer several benefits like high-quality voice and video delivery in crowded areas like airports. 
iv.This technology will play a major role in supporting proliferation of IoT devices and converting cities into smart cities. 
Note: In this technology the infrastructure management is complicated since it requires a large number of antennas
Additional info:
i.IIT Hyderabad has made remarkable work on Narrowband – Internet of Things (NB-IoT) and other areas as part of the 5G Testbed. 
ii.IIT Hyderabad is set to play a major role in the government of India’s 5G advanced and 6G Efforts. 

SPORTS

ITTF World Rankings: Manika Batra Achieves Career Best 38th position in Women’s Singles & Sathiyan Achieved 34th Position in Men’s Singles

According to the International Table Tennis Federation(ITTF) rankings 2022 (as of 3rd May 2022), the Indian Paddler Manika Batra achieved career high rank by gaining 38th position in the women’s singles and the compatriot Sathiyan Gnanasekaran(G Sathiyan) gained 34th position in the Men’s Singles category. This revised ranking  is due to the removal of ‘Initial Points’ criteria to determine the rankings by the International Table Tennis Federation (IITF).
Revised Rankings:
i.Men’s Singles – Apart from G Sathiyan, the Veteran Achanta Sharath Kamal secured 37th position (Only two Mens are in Top 100 rankings).
ii.Women’s Singles – Apart from Manika Batra three others topped in the women’s list. They are – 
Archana Girish Kamath at number 66th, Sreeja Akula securing 68th position and lastly Reeth Tennison who gained an astounding 197 spots to be world number 97.
iii.Men’s Doubles – The duo G Sathiyan and Harmeet Desai ranked at 28th position while the pair of G Sathiyan and Achanta Sharath Kamal are placed 35th.
iv.Women’s Doubles – Manika Batra and Archana Kamath are ranked world number 4 while Sutirtha Mukherjee and Ayhika Mukherjee are next best at world no 29.
v.Mixed Doubles – Manika and Sathiyan are ranked world no 6 and Manav Vikas Thakkar and Archana Kamath are world no 22.

Top rankers :- 

• Men’s Singles: list topped by Fan Zhendong of China
• Women’s Singles: list topped by Chen Meng of China
• Men’s Doubles(Pairs): list topped by Yukiya Uda and Shunsuke Togami of Japan
• Women’s Doubles Pairs: list topped by Wang Manyu and Sun Yingsha of China
• Mixed Doubles Pairs: list topped by Cheng I Ching and Lin Yun Ju of Taiwan

Indian Table Tennis Players in Top 100 ranking:

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Firefighters Day 2022 – May 4

International Firefighters Day (IFFD) is annually observed across the globe on 4th May to create awareness about the significant role of firefighters in ensuring the safety of the people and property and to recognise and honour the sacrifices of the firefighters. 

• The day also pays respect to those firefighters who lost their lives in the line of duty. 
• The day also marks the feast day of St Florian (May 4), the patron saint of firefighters, chimney sweeps, and brewers.

Symbol of IFFD:
Red and Blue ribbon (two colours fused on top) is the significant symbol of the IFFD, the red colour symbolises the element of Fire and the blue symbolises the element of water.
>> Read Full News 

STATE NEWS

MEDD Maharashtra & IFC collaborated to Strengthen Medical EducationA collaboration has been made between the Medical Education and Drugs Department (MEDD) and International Finance Corporation (IFC) to prioritize healthcare projects with an emphasis on medical education under the public-private partnership (PPP) model in Maharashtra.

• In this regard both entities organised an investor conference themed around strengthening medical education and tertiary healthcare in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• MEDD is a Governing and Regulatory Department for Medical Science, Research, Food and related Act in Maharashtra.

Key Points:
i.Under this partnership, IFC will act as transaction advisor for the PPPs to develop super-speciality hospitals and medical education facilities across the state. 
ii.The pact will aid in  expanding healthcare services to ensure equitable access in Vision 2021-2030 Strategy.
iii.It will also drive private sector-led growth, strengthening the state’s health infrastructure, increasing the number of specialist healthcare personnel in the state, along with the development of medical education sector.
About  Medical Education and Drugs Department (MEDD):
Secretary– Saurabh Vijay
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
About International Finance Corporation (IFC):
It is a member of the World Bank Group.
Managing Director– Makhtar Diop
Headquarters– Washington, D.C., United States

Minister of MoHUA launched Online Building Permission System in Sikkim
Sikkim will be the first state in North East Region to launch the Online Building Permission System (OBPS). It was launched by Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri during a symposium on ‘Urban Development of North Eastern States – Smart City Revolution’, organized by the Sikkim government in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Development of North East Region (MDoNER) as part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mohotsav in Sikkim.

Other projects to be noted :-
Union minister also quoted some of new schemes and programmes during the launching event in the motive of the development of North East Region.
i.A new scheme called Prime Minister’s Development Initiatives for North-East (PM-DevINE) was announced by the Finance Minister in the Union Budget 2022 with an initial allocation of Rs.1500 crores will fund infrastructure, guided by the PM Gati Shakti Mission, and social development projects.
ii.The South Asian Sub-Regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) road connectivity programme will also help in making the region more connected and accessible to the rest of the country.
iii.Smart Cities Mission 523 projects worth Rs 13563 crores are in various stages of implementation in the ten cities of the NE Region.

Online Building Permission System (OBPS):-

• “Online Building Permission System”(OBPS) is mainly focused on the removal of the need for the citizen to visit the department, apply online and would be able to get the development permission certificate anywhere and anytime. The system is transparent and an effective tool in monitoring and improving the delivery of services.
• It was supported by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India
• By using OBPS, a business individual can apply for services from the government like Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA) permit in a time bound manner.

JKFDC & NFDC to organise 1st ever National Film Festival of J&K 

Jammu and Kashmir Film Development Council(JKFDC) in collaboration with National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting(MIB), Government of India is organising the 1st ever National Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir(J&K), in Srinagar, J&K from 15th to 20th June 2022. 
This will be the first ever film festival of a grand scale to be organised by government of J&K. 

• The festival aims to highlight the film, music and creative ecosystem of J&K along with its natural and social cultural beauty of J&K. 

The festival will present the award under 3 categories including feature films, non-feature films and Music Videos. Click here to know more

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