International Day of Action for Rivers 2022
The International Day of Action for Rivers is celebrated every year on the 14th of March. The year 2022 marks the 25th anniversary of the International Day of Action for Rivers. The day aims to raise awareness about the value and importance of rivers as well as bring together people from across the world to discuss and spread awareness about conserving rivers, river management, pollution, and equitable access to clean and flowing water. The theme in 2022 is “The Importance of Rivers for Biodiversity”.
Significance of the day:
According to the International Rivers organization, ‘the International Day of Action for Rivers is a day dedicated to solidarity – when diverse communities around the world come together with one voice to say that rivers matter.’ The day raises and spreads awareness about how rivers sustain our lives. It focuses on restoring and maintaining rivers, as well as on freshwater ecosystems (rivers) as a source of clean water for irrigation and drinking.
The History
The International Day of Action For Rivers was adopted by the participants of the First International Meeting of People Affected by Dams, March 1997 in Curitiba Brazil. The main aim is to raise voices in unison against destructive water development projects, reclaim the health of watersheds, and demand the equitable and sustainable management of rivers.
German Open Badminton 2022: Lakshya Sen won Silver Medal
Indian Shuttler Lakshya Sen has settled for silver after losing to Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand, 18-21, 15-21, in the men’s singles final at the German Open 2022. The Thai player dominated from start to end, winning the match and the championship in just 57 minutes. German Open is an annual badminton tournament classified as BWF World Tour Super 300 event.
Complete Result of German Open 2022
- Men’s singles: Kunlavut Vitidsarn (Thailand) beat Lakshya Sen (India)
- Women’s singles: He Bingjiao (China) beat Chen Yufei (China)
- Men’s Double: Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin (Malaysia)
- Women’s Double: Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan (China)
- Mixed Doubles: Dechapol Puavaranukroh / Sapsiree Taerattanachai (Thailand)
75th BAFTA Award 2022 announced
The 75th edition of the British Academy Film Awards, also known as the BAFTA Award, was held at the Royal Albert Hall in London. The awards, presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), honours the best national and foreign films of 2021. The ceremony was hosted by actress and comedian Rebel Wilson. The film that received maximum nominations was Dune, with 11 nominations. The film that received the maximum number of awards was Dune as well with 5 awards.
Here is the list of winners at the 2022 BAFTA awards:
| Category | Winners |
| Best Film | The Power of the Dog |
| Best Director | Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog |
| Best Actress in Leading Role | Joanna Scanlan, After Love |
| Best Actor in Leading Role | Will Smith, King Richard |
| Best Supporting Actress | Ariana DeBose, West Side Story |
| Best Supporting Actor | Troy Kotsur, CODA |
| EE Rising Star Award | Lashana Lynch |
| Outstanding British Film | Belfast |
| Outstanding Debut By A British Writer, Director, Or Producer | The Harder They Fall |
| Best Film Not In The English Language | Drive My Car |
| Best Documentary | Summer of Soul (Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) |
| Best Animated Film | Encanto |
| Best Short Animation | Do Not Feed the Pigeons, Vladimir Krasilnikov, Jordi Morera and Antonin Niclass |
| Best Short Film | The Black Cop, Cherish Oleka |
| Original Screenplay | Licorice Pizza, Paul Thomas Anderson |
| Adapted Screenplay | CODA, Sian Heder |
| Original Score | Dune, Hans Zimmer |
| Casting | West Side Story, Cindy Tolan |
History of the awards:
British Academy Television Awards are presented annually to recognize the outstanding work in British Television. It is being given annually since 1955. It is mainly given to British programs.
Ranjit Rath named as Chairman & MD of Oil India Ltd
Ranjit Rath has been named as the next Chairman and Managing Director of Oil India Limited (OIL). He will replace current chairman and managing director Sushil Chandra Mishra, who will superannuate on June 30, 2022. Presently Rath is the chairman and managing director of Mineral Exploration Corporation Ltd (MECL). Oil India Limited is the Indian-government owned second-largest crude oil and natural gas producing company, under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
Rath is a recipient of the prestigious National Geosciences Award 2016 from the President of India. He has co-authored a book titled ‘Underground Storage Technologies’ and has published several technical papers and participated in conferences in India and overseas.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
N Chandrasekaran named as chairman of Air India
The chairman of Tata Sons, N Chandrasekaran has been appointed as the chairman of Air India. In February 2022, N Chandrasekaran was reappointed as chairman of Tata Sons for a second term of five years. Tata Sons will soon announce a new MD and CEO for Air India to replace Ilker Ayci who was to take charge next month but resigned in the wake of controversies regarding his appointment.
Chandrasekaran also serves as the non-executive chairman of several other Tata Group companies, including Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Motors, Tata Steel, Tata Chemicals and Tata Consumer Products. He was reappointed Tata Sons’ executive chairman last month for another five years.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Tata Group Founder: Jamsetji Tata;
- Tata Group Founded: 1868, Mumbai;
- Tata Group Headquarters: Mumbai.
LivQuik becomes the first fintech to achieve RBI’s PPI interoperability guidelines
LivQuik, a prepaid payment instrument (PPI) issuer, announced that it has achieved full interoperability for its Prepaid Payment Instruments, as mandated by the Reserve Bank of India. According to the firm, it is also the first PPI issuer to achieve full interoperability. PPI issuers must enable full-KYC wallet interoperability by March 31, 2022, according to RBI rules.
KEY POINTS:
- Customers of LivQuik will be able to optimise their payments and spending across wallets by attaching a card on the Visa and RuPay networks, as well as enabling UPI, thanks to interoperability, according to the business.
- Karan Talwar, LivQuik’s Chief Operating Officer, spoke at the event and said, “At LivQuik, we take pride in offering customers the most comprehensive platform for leveraging our PPI capabilities and achieving their goals. We’re thrilled to be the first PPI to achieve full interoperability, and we’re excited to provide our services to a wide range of clients. We’ve teamed with M2P Fintech to deliver UPI on PPI with our existing capabilities in cards, wallets, gift certificates, and other products.”
- M2P Fintech’s Chief Business Officer, Rajesh Wadhwa, stated, “Our Card + Wallet + UPI stack, along with regulatory capabilities, is the most comprehensive solution for Prepaid Payment Instrument providers, and we’re proud to have helped LivQuik become the country’s first fully interoperable PPI. We believe LivQuik can provide its customers with a number of cutting-edge solutions built on top of the M2P fintech stack.”
- LivQuik is an RBI-authorized Prepaid Payment Instrument Issuer and Full-Fledged Money Changer that was founded in 2012. (FFMC). Enterprise, Issuance, and Acquiring are LivQuik’s three primary business verticals at the junction of Financial Services and Retail.
About LivQuik:
LivQuik is a Mumbai-based Fintech startup that was recently onboarded to global payment network VISA‘s Fintech Fastrack Program as a Prepaid Payment Issuer and Full Fledged Money Changer (FFMC) by the Reserve Bank of India. With its enterprise-grade wallet platform and SAAS based Gifting platform, LivQuik provides the Fintech infrastructure to enable Prepaid Payments and manages highly scalable technology across the payments value chain for the Retail industry.
FIFA WORLD CUP2022: QATAR FIFA WORLD CUP
FIFA WORLD CUP
- FIFA‘s aim is to regulate and grow football worldwide. The organisation has been swiftly evolving since 2016, into a body that can better serve our game for the benefit of everyone on the planet.
- The new FIFA is modernising football in every manner possible to make it more global, accessible, and inclusive. Not just on a few continents, but around the globe.
- As part of our goal to make football truly global, we will help expand football worldwide so that at least 50 national teams and 50 clubs from all continents can compete at a high level.
FIFA WORLD CUP 2022 (QATAR)
The FIFA World Cup 2022 is set to be the 22nd edition of the quadrennial international men’s football championship, which will be contested by national teams from FIFA member countries.
- It will take place in Qatar from November 21 to December 18, 2022. This will be the first World Cup to be held in the Arab world, and the second World Cup to be held fully in Asia, following the 2002 tournament in South Korea and Japan.
- In addition, the tournament will be the last to feature 32 teams, with a 48-team tournament set for the United States, Mexico, and Canada in 2026.
- France is the current World Cup champion. Due to the extreme heat in Qatar during the summer, the World Cup will be held from late November to mid-December, making it the first tournament not to be hosted in May, June, or July28 days.
FIFA WORLD CUP 2022 SCHEDULE
Prior to the completion of qualification, the final draw will be held in Doha, Qatar, on April 1, 2022. At the time of the draw, the two winners of the inter-confederation play-offs and the winner of Path A of the Second Round of the UEFA Qualifiers will be unknown.
- FIFA confirmed the match schedule on July 15, 2020. The first match, starring the hosts Qatar, will take place at the Al Bayt Stadium on November 21, 2022, at 13:00 local time (UTC+3).
- Four matches will be played each day during the group stage, with kick-off times of 13:00, 16:00, 19:00, and 22:00 for the first two rounds, and 18:00 and 22:00 for the final round and knockout round matches, respectively.
- The third-place match will be held at the Khalifa International Stadium on December 17, 2022, and the final will be held at the Lusail Iconic Stadium on December 18, 2022, both at 18:00.
- Unlike previous tournaments, where match venues and kick-off times were determined prior to the draw, group fixtures for each matchday will be assigned to a specific venue and kick-off time only after the group stage draw has been completed and the teams for each specific fixture have been determined. This could be owing to the venues’ close proximity, which will allow the organisers to optimise stadium allocation and kick-off times for broadcast audiences.
The following stadiums will host the group stage matches for each group:
- Groups A, B, E, F will be played at the Al Bayt Stadium, Khalifa International Stadium, Al Thumama Stadium, Ahmed bin Ali Stadium.
- Groups C, D, G, H will be played at the Lusail Iconic Stadium, Stadium 974, Education City Stadium, Al Janoub Stadium
FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association)
FIFA’s mission is to control and develop football around the world. Since 2016, the organisation has been rapidly evolving into a body that can better serve our game for the benefit of everyone on the planet. In every way, the new FIFA is modernising football to make it more global, accessible, and inclusive. Not just on a couple of continents, but all over the world.
We will help grow football everywhere so that at least 50 national teams and 50 clubs from all continents can participate at a top competitive level, as part of our aim to make football truly global.
Nationalization of banks list 2022
In the modern era, banking started in the colonial period with the establishment of the Bank of Hindustan which was established in the year 1770. Post-independence, the government of India took numerous steps to improve the country’s economic development, and one of the major steps they took was establishing RBI in April 1935. Later in 1948, under the terms of the RBI Act, they gave notice to nationalized the banks and then in 1949.
After Independence, the banking sector was being regulated by the Reserve Bank of India which is the central authority. By this time only the State Bank of India was a major government bank and the rest were private-owned. To meet the need of the Indian economy, the banks were nationalized in the years 1969 and 1980.
What is Nationalised bank?
The nationalized banks are those banks that were ones owned by the private players but due to the financial or socio-economic exigencies, the ownership was acquired by the government. In more technical terms Nationalised Banks have such an ownership structure where the government is the majority shareholder i.e. >50%.
Why banks were Nationalised?
Bank Nationalization is a policy decision, which is undertaken keeping certain goals in mind. From time to time Central Government can carry out the nationalization of banks. Though candidates must note that Nationalization as a policy call has lost the favour of Governments post-liberalization of 1991. Nariman committee on banking reforms 1991 and 1998 has called for more private banks in India.
In this article, we have an updated list of Government banks in India along with a merged banks list as of 2022.
- State Bank of India
- Punjab National Bank (With Merger of Oriental Bank of Commerce and United Bank of India)
- Bank of Baroda
- Canara Bank (With Merger of Syndicate Bank)
- Union Bank of India (With Merger of Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank)
- Bank of India
- Indian Bank (With Merger of Allahabad Bank)
- Central Bank of India
- Indian Overseas Bank
- UCO Bank
- Bank of Maharashtra
- Punjab & Sind Bank
Let’s have a look at each Public Sector bank individually:
1. State Bank of India
State Bank of India is the largest bank in India. SBI is ranked 236th on the Fortune Global 500 list. The bank was founded in 1955. With the merger with its 5 associates banks, SBI has the largest branches network in India.
- Headquarters: Mumbai, India;
- Tagline: Pure Banking, Nothing Else
- Chairperson: Dinesh Kumar Khara
2. Punjab National Bank
Punjab National Bank is a banking and financial services bank owned by the Government of India. The bank was established in 1894. PNB bank is merged with OBC Bank and United Bank. The new bank will become the second-largest Public Sector Bank of India with 18 Lakh crore rupees and the second largest in terms of branch network across the country.
- Headquarters: New Delhi, India
- Tagline: The name you can Bank Upon
- CEO: Atul Kumar Goel
3. Bank of Baroda
Bank of Baroda is an Indian multinational bank. It is the third-largest public sector bank in the country established in 1908. Bank of Baroda will be merged with Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank to create the country’s third-largest lender with a combined business of Rs. 14.82 lakh crore.
- Headquarters: Vadodara, Gujarat
- Tagline: India’s International Bank
- Managing Director & CEO: Sanjiv Chadha
4. Canara Bank
Canara Bank is one of the oldest public sector banks in India. The bank was founded in 1906 by the name Canara Hindu Permanent Fund but later changed its name to Canara Bank Limited in 1910. Canara Bank will merge with Syndicate Bank to become the fourth largest Public Sector Bank in the country. The total business of the bank will be Rs.15.2 lakh crore. It will also become the third-largest bank branch network in India.
- Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka
- Tagline: Together We Can
- CEO: Lingam Venkat Prabhakar
5. Union Bank of India
Union Bank of India is one of the largest public sector banks in India. The government holds 90% of its share capital. The bank was founded in 1919. With Merger of Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank.
- Headquarters: Mumbai, India
- Tagline: Good People to Bank With
- CEO: Rajkiran Rai G.
6. Bank of India
Bank of India is the founder member of SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Inter Bank Financial Telecommunications) and one of the top 5 banks in India.
- Headquarters: Mumbai, India
- Tagline: Relationship Beyond Banking
- Managing Director & CEO: Atanu Kumar Das
7. Indian Bank
Indian Bank has overseas branches in Colombo and Singapore. It was founded in 1907. With Merger of Allahabad Bank.
- Headquarters: Chennai, India
- Tagline: Your Own Bank
- CEO: Shri Shanti Lal Jain
8. Central Bank of India
Central Bank of India was one of eighteen public sector banks that get recapitalized in 2009. It is founded in 1911.
- Headquarters: Mumbai, India
- Tagline: Build a better life around us
- Managing Director & CEO: Matam Venkata Rao
9. Indian Overseas Bank
Indian Overseas Bank has 6 foreign branches and a representative office. It was founded in 1937.
- Headquarters: Chennai, India
- Tagline: Good People to Grow With
- CEO: Partha Pratim Sengupta
10. UCO Bank
UCO Bank is one of the major government-owned commercial banks of India. It was founded in 1943. UCO bank recently launched its Whatsapp banking.
- Headquarters: Kolkata, West Bengal
- Tagline: Honours Your Trust
- CEO: Shri Soma Sankara Prasad
11. Bank of Maharashtra
Bank of Maharashtra is a major public sector bank. The Government of India has 87.74% shares of this bank. It is founded in 1935.
- Headquarters: Pune, India
- Tagline: One Family One Bank
- CEO: A. S. Rajeev
12. Punjab & Sind Bank
Punjab and Sind Bank is emerging as a techno-savvy public sector bank of India. It was founded in 1908.
- Headquarters: Rajendra Place New Delhi, India
- Tagline: Where Service Is A Way Of Life
- MD & CEO: S Krishnan
Shreyas Iyer and Amelia Kerr named ICC Players of the Month for February 2022
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced India’s star all-format batter Shreyas Iyer and White Ferns all-rounder Amelia Kerr were voted ICC Players of the Month for February 2022. Fans can continue to vote every month for their favourite male and female cricketers across all formats of international cricket as part of the ICC Player of the Month initiative.
In men’s category:
Shreyas Iyer, the fast-rising India batter, has won the ICC ‘Men’s Player of the Month’ for February 2022. Shreyas Iyer earned the ICC Player of the Month award on the back of his brilliant white-ball exploits during the home series against West Indies and Sri Lanka respectively last month.
Among the women category:
New Zealand all-rounder Amelia Kerr bagged the ICC ‘Women’s Player of the Month award for February 2022. Amelia Kerr, the 21-year-old New Zealand all-rounder, was named the Women’s POTM, following her supreme consistency with both bat and ball during the home white-ball series against India. Kerr was chosen ahead of fellow nominees, India captain Mithali Raj and all-rounder Deepti Sharma for the award.
‘Gender Samwaad’ organised by the Ministry of Rural Development
Over 3000 State Mission employees and members of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) from 34 states logged in to attend the third edition of ‘Gender Samwaad,’ organised by the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), Ministry of Rural Development. It’s a national virtual effort run by the DAY-NRLM to raise awareness about the mission’s activities around the country via the perspective of gender. Promotion of food and nutrition security through women’s collectives’ was the focus for this edition. The event was held as part of the Amrit Mahotsava‘s Iconic Week commemoration theme of ‘Naye Bharat ki Naari.‘
KEY POINTS:
- National and State Rural Livelihoods Missions (SRLMs) were able to hear from SHG women and share and learn from best practices during the event. Shri Nagendra Nath Sinha, Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, spoke at the online gathering and underlined the potential of women collectives to encourage behaviour change and access to services. “Across the country, SHG women played a critical role in promoting COVID-19 awareness among over 5.5 crore rural families,” he said.
- Nita Kejrewal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, shared the Ministry’s perspective and initiatives on food, nutrition, health, and WASH interventions (FNHW). “SHGs under the DAY-NRLM are focusing on a variety of interventions to combat malnutrition, including increasing rural household income, enhancing productivity, and diversifying nutrient-rich food crops, as well as social and economic development.”
- SHG members’ behaviour change communication (SBCC),” she explained.
- “SHG women can promote behaviour change, counsel women on care of low-birth weight babies, promote girl’s education, healthy diets, consumption of micronutrients, marriage at the right age, as well as spacing between pregnancies,” said Dr Vinod Kumar Paul, Member, NITI Aayog, highlighting the ways in which SHGs can work with specific target groups across the life cycle. He also did an excellent job of explaining malnutrition and newborn and young child feeding and care techniques.
- Shri Dhrijesh Tiwari, Statistical Advisor, Ministry of Women and Child Development, discussed the Ministry’s many measures for women’s and children’s nutrition.
- Smt. Meeta Rajivlochan, Member Secretary, National Commission for Women, spoke about the importance of women’s nutrition and their rights and entitlements in this area.
- Dr. Kalyani Raghunathan of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) presented the findings of studies on the impact of relevant food and nutrition interventions through women collectives.
OTHER IMPORTANT POINTS:
- State Mission Directors and Community Resource Persons from SRLMs in Bihar, Maharashtra, and Chhattisgarh gave presentations on how they plan to integrate FNHW activities into SHGs’ routine activities under the DAY-NRLM.
- SBCC techniques and promotion of nutrition-sensitive agriculture to complement and diversify food groups accessible at home were discussed by Bihar SRLM’s CEO.
- CEOs from Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh SRLM presented their work on promoting nutrition security through nutri-based enterprises and nutri-garden campaigns, respectively, while CEOs from Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh SRLM shared their learnings and experiences from group meetings and engaging male members alongside women for maternal nutrition interventions.
Bajaj Allianz General Insurance’s MD & CEO, Tapan Singhel got 5-year extension
Bajaj Allianz General Insurance has announced a five-year extension for its MD and CEO, Tapan Singhel. Bajaj Allianz General Insurance said in a statement that the new term will begin on April 1, 2022. Under Singhel’s leadership, the company has grown to become one of the country’s largest and most profitable private general insurers, ensuring growth, profitability, and customer-centricity.
During his decade as MD and CEO, the business has made a cumulative underwriting profit of more than Rs 350 crore, grown revenue at a CAGR of 16 per cent, grown net profit (PAT) at a CAGR of more than 30 per cent, and more than doubled its solvency ratio from 156 per cent to around 350 per cent.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Founded: 2001;
- Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Headquarters: Pune, Maharashtra.
SIPRI Report: India emerges as largest importer of arms
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) has released its latest report on Trends in International Arms Transfer, 2021. As per the report, India and Saudi Arabia emerged as the largest importers of arms between 2017-21. Both two countries accounted for 11% of all global arms sales. Egypt (5.7%), Australia (5.4%) and China (4.8%) were the next three largest importers respectively in the top 5.
The report placed India at the top of the list. 85% of India’s overall imports were from three countries. Russia (46%), France (27%), and the USA (12%) were the top three largest exporters of arms to India during the period.
Largest Arms Exporters in 2017-21
- USA, with 39% share, retained its standing as the world’s largest arms exporters during 2017-21.
- Russia (19%), France (11%), China (4.6%) and Germany (4.5%) were among the top 5 largest exporters respectively.
- India was 23rd largest exporter during 2017-21, with a share of just 0.2% of the global exports.
Former Zambian President Rupiah Banda passes away
The former President of Zambia, Rupiah Banda has passed away after a two-year battle with cancer. He was 85. Banda had served as the fourth president of Zambia from 2008 and 2011. Banda had held senior diplomatic posts under first President Kenneth Kaunda before being eventually named as vice president in 2006 by then-President Levy Mwanawasa.
Banda served as acting president in mid-2008 when Mwanawasa suffered a stroke. Banda narrowly won the October elections the same year on a ruling party ticket.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Zambia Capital: Lusaka; Currency: Zambian kwacha.
L&T launches SuFin, a MSMEs e-Commerce platform
Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has established the L&T-SuFin e-commerce platform. It is the country’s first complete e-commerce platform for industrial products and services sold to other businesses. The platform’s transaction cost is roughly 1.5 per cent. Through its B2B e-commerce platform, the company aimed to empower businesses, particularly micro, small, and medium enterprises, by allowing them to obtain industrial items digitally and cost-effectively across India.
“With digital technology, L&T SuFin is positioned to alter the Indian business landscape, resulting in the formalisation of traditional supply chains and a win-win situation for suppliers and buyers,” the company said in a statement.
KEY POINTS:
- All forms of construction and industrial products will be available on the platform. At the same time, logistics and finance would be assisted in an effort to sell industrial items to MSMEs across the country, according to L&T’s Business Head Bhadresh Pathak.
- “With the introduction of L&T SuFin, we take another step forward in our digital transformation path, drawing on our legacy of trust and ecosystem knowledge. We are confident in L&T SuFin’s ability to alter the industrial B2B sector “, SN Subrahmanyan is the CEO and Managing Director of L&T.
- Larsen & Toubro will use the SuFIN platform to strengthen the supply chain and build better procedures for buyers and suppliers, according to Anoop Sahai, Corporate Strategy Head at L&T.
- This will make industrial product availability simple and clear for everyone. L&T SuFin provides a wide selection of industrial goods in over 40 categories, as well as financial and logistical support.
L&T SuFin gave sellers the opportunity to expand their markets. The platform, according to the business, is designed to connect buyers across categories and across India.
Mission Indradhanush: Odisha topped in full immunization with 90.5% coverage
According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5, Odisha became the top state in the list of full immunizations in India with 90.5% coverage under Mission Indradhanush. Intensified Mission Indradhanush 4.0 (IMI) was rolled out on 7 March 2022, in Odisha to provide preventive health care for mothers and children and for boosting full immunization coverage.
20 districts of Odisha were found above 90% in full immunization and the remaining 10 districts were less than 90%. Districts such as Ganjam, Cuttack, Kendrapara, Jharsuguda, Koraput, Keonjhar, Malkangiri, Khurda, Sambalpur, Mayurbhanj, and Sundargarh districts were selected for inclusion under IMI.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Odisha Capital: Bhubaneswar;
- Odisha Governor: Ganeshi Lal;
- Odisha Chief Minister: Naveen Patnaik.
Fortune India The Next 500 list 2022: RailTel ranked 124th
RailTel Corporation of India Limited (RailTel), owned by the Indian Railways, Ministry of Railways, has ranked 124th in the 8th Edition Fortune India The Next 500 (2022 edition) of top midsize companies operating in India. It is the only Telecom Public Sector Undertakings (PSU) of the Government of India (GoI) on the list. It was ranked 197 in the 2021 list of top midsize companies operating in India.
Apart from RailTel, IRCTC is the only Railway PSU featuring in the list, at the rank of 309. This Fortune India The Next 500 is published annually by Fortune India English Monthly magazine. RailTel is one of the largest neutral telecom infrastructure services providers in the country.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- RailTel Founded: September 2000;
- RailTel Headquarters: Gurgaon, Haryana;
- RailTel CMD: Puneet Chawla.
IIFL Securities launched “OneUp” Primary Markets Investment Platform
IIFL Securities Limited (Formerly India Infoline Limited) launched ‘OneUp’, India’s first primary markets investment platform. Through this platform, investment can be made in initial public offerings (IPOs), non-convertible debentures (NCDs) and sovereign gold bonds (SGBs), among others. On the OneUp platform, the IPO applications are accepted 24×7 and up to three days before the IPO bidding opens.
Key points:
- It enables buyers to analyze, transact and handle new investment alternatives, all on one single platform. Another unique feature of the platform is that it allows investors to place bids for others as well, be it, friends or family members.
- India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd (IIFCL) has raised Rs 1,500 crore in debt to promote long-term infrastructure finance in India. It raised the funds through private placement of Non-Convertible Debt Securities for Rs 500 crore and it has a greenshoe option of Rs 1,000 crore. The issue was oversubscribed 6 times.
Sri Lanka receives a US$1 billion line of credit from India to assist pay for crucial imports
The Indian government has issued a USD 1 billion line of credit (LoC) for Sri Lanka to aid in the import of food, necessary products, and medication. On March 15, 2022, Sri Lankan Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa will visit India to finalise the agreement. Sri Lanka is currently experiencing a serious economic crisis. India is extending the Line of Control as part of its efforts to aid its neighbouring country in combating the COVID-19 pandemic and mitigating its negative impact on its development aspirations.
The island’s foreign reserves have dropped 70% in the last two years to $2.31 billion in February, stalling critical imports including of fuel. Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa, who first announced the Indian credit line in February, will sign an agreement for it on Wednesday to pay for essentials including medicine, wheat flour, sugar and rice.
