India sees significant improvement in UNESCAP score
India has scored 90.32 per cent in the 2021 UN Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation. India’s score was 78.49 per cent in 2019. The overall score of India is found to be greater than many OECD countries including France, UK, Canada, Norway, Finland. India is the best-performing country when compared to the South and South-West Asia region (63.12%) and the Asia Pacific region (65.85%). The overall score of India is even greater than the average score of the EU.
The survey reveals that India has made significant improvement in the scores on all 5 key indicators, as follows:
- Transparency: 100% in 2021 (93.33% in 2019),
- Formalities: 95.83% in 2021 (87.5% in 2019),
- Institutional Arrangement and Cooperation: 88.89% in 2021 (66.67% in 2019),
- Paperless Trade: 96.3% in 2021 (81.48% in 2019) and
- Cross-Border Paperless Trade: 66.67% in 2021 (55.56% in 2019)
About the survey
- The survey is conducted by the United Nation’s Economic and Social Commission for the Asia Pacific (UNESCAP) every two years since 2015 to help countries benchmark and reduce the time and cost of trading across borders, as well as helps businesses in their investment decisions.
- The survey evaluates 143 economies on 58 trade facilitation measures covered by the WTO’s Trade Facilitation Agreement and 5 key indicators which are Transparency, Formalities, Institutional Arrangement and Cooperation, Paperless Trade, and Cross-Border Paperless Trade.
Max Bupa Health Insurance rebrands itself as Niva Bupa
The standalone health insurer Max Bupa Health Insurance has rebranded itself as ‘Niva Bupa Health Insurance. This development comes after the company’s promoter, Max India, which owned 51 per cent of the insurer sold its stake to True North in February 2019 for Rs 510 crore.
With the entry of private equity firm True North, it was decided that the use of the “Max” brand will be phased out over a period of two years and replaced with a suitable name, to create a new brand identity. Niva Bupa targets to become a Rs 2,500 crore company by FY 2021-22.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Max Bupa Health Insurance CEO: Krishnan Ramachandran;
- Max Bupa Health Insurance Headquarters: New Delhi, India;
- Max Bupa Health Insurance Founded: 2008.
India’s oldest student Bhageerathi Amma passes away at 107
Bhageerathi Amma, the oldest woman in India to take the equivalency exams, has passed away due to age-related ailments. She was 107-years-old. Amma, who hailed from the Kollam district of Kerala, decided to continue her education at the age of 105.
Amma had quit formal education in class three, when she was 9 years old. The centenarian was felicitated with the prestigious Nari Shakti Puraskar by the central government for her exceptional contribution towards women’s empowerment.
World’s first 3D-printed steel bridge opened in Amsterdam
The world’s first 3D-printed steel bridge was opened to the public in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It was developed by MX3D, a Dutch robotics company, in collaboration with a consortium of experts, and represents a major milestone for 3D-printing technology. After four years of development, the bridge was unveiled by Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands. It was installed over one of the oldest canals in Amsterdam’s city centre – the Oudezijds Achterburgwal.
About the bridge:
- The 12-metre-long steel structure will be a ‘living laboratory’ that will capture and transmit data on its health in real-time to show how it changes over its lifespan.
- The length of the bridge is nearly 40 feet. It is a 6-ton stainless steel structure.
- The smart sensor network was designed and installed by a team from The Alan Turing Institute.
- The sensors attached to the structure will gather data on air quality, temperature, strain, displacement and vibration.
- The data will be used by the bridge’s ‘digital twin’, a computer model that will emulate the actual bridge in real-time, to improve accuracy over time.
- The computer model will help understand how a full-scale 3D-printed steel structure works in the real world.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Netherlands Capital: Amsterdam; Currency: Euro.
FinMin Joint Secretary Rashmi R Das appointed to UN Tax Committee
The joint secretary of the Finance Ministry, Rasmi Ranjan Das has been appointed to the UN tax committee as a member for the term period 2021 to 2025. Das is among the tax experts from around the world who has been appointed as a member of the UN tax committee. She is Joint Secretary – (FT&TR-I), Central Board of Direct Taxes, Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance.
About UN Committee:
- Formally known as the UN Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters, this committee helps the countries’ efforts to advance stronger and forward-looking tax policies which are adapted to suit the realities of a digitalised economy, globalised trade and investment and the ever-worsening environmental degradation.
- It assists countries in their efforts to prevent double or multiple taxations as well as non-taxation, broaden their tax base, strengthen their tax administrations, and curb international tax evasion and avoidance.
Tokyo 2020: Mirabai Chanu wins Silver in weightlifting
Mirabai Chanu won the silver medal and became the first Indian to win an Olympic medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games in the Women’s 49kg category. China’s Zhihui Hou won the gold medal in the women’s 49-kg weightlifting at the Tokyo Olympics, lifting a total of 210 kg, while Indonesia’s Windy Cantika Aisah won the bronze medal.
Chanu managed to lift a total of 202 kg in the women’s 49kg category to become the second Indian weightlifter after Karnam Malleswari to win an Olympic medal. A new Olympic record was registered by Mirabai Chanu with a successful lift of 115kg in clean and jerk.
UNESCO: Historic Urban Landscape project launched for Gwalior, Orchha
In the state of Madhya Pradesh, the cities of Orchha and Gwalior have been selected by UNESCO under its ‘Historic Urban Landscape Project.’ This project was started in the year 2011. UNESCO’s Historic Urban Landscape project for the cities of Orchha and Gwalior was launched through video conferencing by the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
Six cities of South Asia, including the Indian cities of Varanasi and Ajmer, are already involved in this project. Gwalior and Orchha have been included as the 7th and 8th cities of South Asia.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh: Shivraj Singh Chouhan; Governor: Mangubhai Chhaganbhai Patel.
Rajnath Singh flags-in Indian Army’s Skiing Expedition “ARMEX-21”
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has flagged in the Indian Army’s skiing expedition that was conducted in the Himalayan mountain ranges between March 10 and July 6. The expedition, called ARMEX-21, was flagged off at Karakoram Pass in Ladakh on March 10 and culminated at Malari in Uttarakhand on July 6 covering 1,660 km in 119 days.
About the ARMEX-21:
The ARMEX-21 was conducted in the mountain ranges of the Himalayan region to promote the adventure activity in the country and the Indian Army,” it stated. During the expedition, the team travelled through several passes at a height of 5,000-6,500 meters and through glaciers, valleys and rivers.
IIT-K launches technology innovation hub to find cyber security for drones
Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT-K) has launched the first technology innovation hub to find cybersecurity solutions for anti-drones technologies, intrusion detection systems, block-chain and cyber-physical systems. As many as 13 start-ups and 25 research and development principal investigators were selected after a rigorous application process. The presence of cutting-edge technology in cybersecurity is accompanied by an increasing need to protect digital assets and deploy solutions for the common public as well as government and industry.
IIT Kanpur’s C3i hub will focus on safeguarding cyberspace including critical infrastructure.” The government is promoting Make-in India cybersecurity solutions to counter rising threats from neighbouring countries, particularly China.
IOA ropes in Adani Group as sponsor for Tokyo Olympics
The Indian Olympic Association has roped in Adani Group as a sponsor for the Indian contingent at the ongoing Tokyo Games. IOA secretary general Rajiv Mehta, who is in Tokyo, announced the development.
The IOA had earlier entered into sponsorship deals with various private entities, including dairy giant Amul, mobile gaming platform MPL Sports Foundation, JSW Sports among others. IOA had inked the deals after dropping Chinese sportswear brand Li Ning as the Indian team’s official kit sponsor for the Tokyo Olympics and stating that the country’s athletes will wear unbranded apparel during the Games.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Indian Olympic Association President: Narayana Ramachandran;
- Indian Olympic Association Founded: 1927.
Ngangom Bala Devi named AIFF ‘Women’s Footballer of the Year’ 2020-21
Indian Women’s National Team Forward, Ngangom Bala Devi has been named as the All India Football Federation (AIFF) Women’s Footballer of the Year 2020-21. Bala currently plays for Rangers Women’s FC in Scotland. She made her debut for the team in February 2020 and created history as she scored her first competitive goal for the side in December last year. She is the first Indian woman footballer to sign a professional contract with an overseas club in Europe.
Bala was a part of the Manipur U19 team that took part in the Under-19 Women’s Championship in Assam in 2002, where she was declared the best player. She has also represented the Manipur Senior Women’s Football Team in the India women’s football championship.
RBI allows loans up to Rs 5 cr to other banks’ directors
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has overhauled rules for extending loans to directors of other banks and relatives of directors. As per the amendments, the central bank has allowed banks to extend personal loans up to ₹5 crores to directors of other banks and directors’ relatives other than spouses without board approval. The earlier limit for such loans was ₹25 lakh.
The regulations apply to directors, including the Chairman/Managing Director, of other banks, any firm in which they are interested as a partner or guarantor, or any company in which they hold substantial interest or is interested as a director or as a guarantor. Personal loans refer to loans given to individuals and consist of consumer credit, education loans, loans given for the creation or enhancement of immovable assets like houses, and loans given for investment in financial assets, such as shares, debentures, etc.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- RBI 25th Governor: Shaktikant Das; Headquarters: Mumbai; Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata.
