FIDE Chess Olympiad 2022 will be held in Chennai
India has been picked as the host nation for the FIDE Chess Olympiad 2022. The 44th edition of the Olympiad is scheduled to be held in Chennai, from 26th July 2022 to 8th August 2022. This is the first time that India will host the FIDE Chess Olympiad since its inception in 1927. The event was originally scheduled to be held in Russia, but FIDE pulled out from there following the Ukraine invasion.
The venue will be the Four Points by Sheraton Mahabalipuram Resort & Convention Center, 60 kilometres south of central Chennai. It is located in Mamallapuram, one of the famous tourist sites in India and a UNESCO World Heritage Site of seventh- and eighth-century Hindu monuments.
In memory of Gen. Bipin Rawat, Indian Army dedicates “Chair of Excellence”
On the eve of General Bipin Rawat’s 65th birthday anniversary, the Indian Army has dedicated a chair of excellence in the late chief of defence staff (CDS)’s memory at the United Service Institution of India (USI), the country’s oldest think tank founded in 1870. The Chair will be open to Veterans of three Services and civilians having expertise in the field of National Security.
The purpose of Gen Bipin Rawat Memorial Chair of Excellence at USI will be to conduct research on strategic issues related to the armed forces, with a focus on the field of Jointness and Integration. The topic for 2022 research will be Jointness and Integration in the Context of Land Warfare in India. Gen MM Naravane, Chief of Army Staff handed over a cheque of Rs 5 lakhs to Director, USI, Maj Gen BK Sharma (retd), which will be paid as honorarium to the nominated Chair of Excellence.
Nitin Gadkari inaugurates Toyota “Mirai” India’s first Green Hydrogen Fuel Cell EV
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari has inaugurated the world’s most advanced technology-developed Green Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) Toyota Mirai at New Delhi. Toyota Mirai is India’s first Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV), which is completely powered by Hydrogen.
About the Toyota Mirai:
Toyota Mirai has been launched by Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt Ltd and International Center for Automotive Technology (ICAT) under a pilot project, to study and evaluate the performance of Toyota Mirai on Indian roads and climatic conditions. This is a first of its kind project in India which will create a Green Hydrogen based ecosystem in the country and help India to become ‘Energy Self-reliant’ by 2047.
M V Ram Prasad Bismil becomes longest vessel to sail from Ganga to Brahmaputra
The MV Ram Prasad Bismil has become the longest vessel ever to sail from Ganga to the Brahmaputra. The 90 meters long and 26 meters wide flotilla, loaded with a draft of 2.1 meters, achieved the feat on March 15, 2022, when it successfully completed the pilot run of heavy cargo movement from Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port in Haldia, to Pandu port in Guwahati.
The cargo vessel was flagged off from the Haldia Dock in Kolkata along with two barges (DB Kalpana Chawla and DB APJ Abdul Kalam) by Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (PSW), Sarbananda Sonowal on February 16, 2022, and docked at Pandu port in Guwahati on March 15, 2022. Carrying 1793 metric tonnes of steel rods, the vessel covered the distance from Haldia to Pandu through Bangladesh on the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route (IBPR).
Rs 1.42 lakh crore budget for Jammu and Kashmir for FY 2022-23, presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
In the Lok Sabha, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed a Rs 1.42 lakh crore budget for the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir for the fiscal year 2022-23, despite opposition pleas for more time to review the plans. Sitharaman also tabled the Union Territory’s additional demands for the fiscal year 2021-22, totaling Rs 18,860.32 crore, and moved a resolution to suspend certain norms to allow the House to take up the debate on the same day.
KEY POINTS:
- Manish Tewari of the Congress and N K Premachandran of the RSP both objected to Sitharaman’s motion, claiming that Rule 205 is part of the basic rules of process and cannot be waived.
- Some rules are beyond the House’s power to change. Tewari, a Congress member from Anandpur Sahib, said that MPs needed more time to consider the government’s budget recommendations for Jammu and Kashmir.
- The discussion will begin after two hours, according to Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal.
- Speaker Om Birla authorised the business for the day during the Business Advisory Committee meeting, according to Rajendra Agarwal, who was in the chair.
- According to Tewari, the Lok Sabha’s obligation is complicated because it is adopting the responsibility of the Jammu and Kashmir legislature, which should have taken up the issue.The budget papers had not been issued by the government, he stated, advising that the meeting be rescheduled for Tuesday to allow members to read the ideas and offer reasoned objections.
- The member from Kollam, Premachandran, claimed that the minister had also requested a joint discussion on the budget plans and the supplemental need for funds, which would be against the rules.
- Sudip Bandyopadhyay, a member of the Trinamool Congress, said the subject was discussed in the Business Advisory Committee, and it was decided that the J-K Budget will be reviewed two hours after the presentation.
Axis Bank won ‘Asian Bank of the Year’ at IFR Asia Awards 2021
India’s third-largest private sector bank, Axis Bank has been awarded IFR Asia’s Asian Bank of The Year, for its breadth of coverage and depth of expertise in the Asian investment banking space. The award acknowledges the bank’s outstanding performance in equity and debt issuance, across all major products and segments. Axis Bank was the only local house to serve as a global coordinator for the record Rs. 183 Bn Paytm IPO, and was also the global coordinator for Macrotech Developers’ Rs. 25 Bn IPO.
This year, the bank has also won the ‘Best DCM House in India’ Award at the Finance Asia’s Country Awards. Axis Bank has been No. 1 on the Bloomberg League Table ranking for 15 consecutive calendar years and has maintained its leadership position in the domestic Debt Capital Market.
Globally:
Morgan Stanley has been honoured with the Bank of the year award at the IFR Asia Award 2021 and the JSW Group has been awarded with the Issuer of the year award. The awards are organized by IFR Asia, a Hong Kong-based provider of capital markets intelligence.
ISRO successfully tested solid fuel-based booster stage of SSLV
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has successfully completed the ground test of the solid fuel-based booster stage (SS1) of its new Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota at Andhra Pradesh. It completes the ground testing of all three stages of the launch vehicle. The vehicle is now ready for its first development flight, which is scheduled for May 2022.
Other stages of SSLV like SS2 & SS3 have successfully undergone necessary ground tests and are ready for integration. At present, the launch of small satellites has been dependent on ‘piggy-bank’ rides with big satellite launches on the PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) of ISRO, which has completed around 50 successful launches.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Chairman and Space Secretary of ISRO: Dr S Somanath;
- ISRO Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka;
- ISRO established: 15 August 1969.
India entered into world’s top five club in terms of market capitalisation
As per Bloomberg’s recent data on Market capitalization, for the 1st time, India’s equities market has entered the world’s top 5 in terms of market capitalization. India is ranked 5th with an overall market capitalization of USD 3.21 trillion. The total world market cap stands at USD 109.22 trillion. The US topped the ranking with an overall market cap of USD 47.32 trillion, followed by China (USD 11.52 trillion), Japan (USD 6 trillion) and Hong Kong (USD 5.55 trillion).
India’s market cap has surpassed:
The United Kingdom (UK) ranked 6th with an M-Cap of USD 3.19 trillion, Saudi Arabia ranked 7th with an M-Cap of USD 3.18 trillion, Canada ranked 8th with an M-Cap of USD 3.18 trillion, France ranked 9th with an M-Cap of USD 2.89 trillion and Germany ranked 10th with M-Cap of USD 2.29 trillion.
Net-Zero Carbon Emissions by 2050: Mumbai became first South Asian City to set target
Mumbai, Maharashtra announced its detailed framework to ‘zero out carbon emissions by 2050’ and became the first city in South Asia to set such a target. Mumbai’s target is 20 years ahead of India’s target to reach net zero emissions by 2070. Targets also include a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030 and 44% reduction by 2040.
Mumbai set several short-term goals for decarbonisation measures such as electrifying public transport, it plans to adopt 2,100 electric buses by 2023 at a cost of 130 billion rupees (USD $1.7 billion). Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has devised the Mumbai Climate Action Plan (MCAP) as a part of its commitment towards building a climate-resilient city.
Narayan Pradhan named for GD Birla Award for Scientific Research
Professor Narayan Pradhan has been selected for the 31st GD Birla Award for Scientific Research for his outstanding contribution in the field of material sciences. He has provided his expertise in crystal modulations to help design new shapes of these tiny lighting materials.
Why was this award is given to him?
Pradhan’s research work focused on understanding the chemistry and physics of light-emitting semiconductor nanocrystals. His research group has significantly contributed to the surface construction of the newly emerged light-emitting halide perovskite nanocrystals, which are expected to be the next-generation lighting materials for photovoltaics and making LEDs. He has provided his expertise in crystal modulations to help design new shapes of these tiny lighting materials.
About Professor Narayan Pradhan:
- Pradhan, a member of the faculty at the School of Material Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, graduated from Odisha’s Fakir Mohan College and did his master’s in chemistry from the Ravenshaw University, Cuttack.
- He went on to get a PhD from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur, in 2001. He did his post-doctoral research at Israel’s Ben Gurion University and the University of Arkansas in the US. In 2007, he joined the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science as an assistant professor.
- Pradhan has been a recipient of the LNJ Bhilwara Nanoscience award, the DST Swarnajayanti Fellowship award, the DST Nanoscience Young Career award, and the Oxford Nanoscientist award.
About the award:
Instituted in 1991, the award recognises eminent Indian scientists below the age of 50 for their original and outstanding contributions to any branch of science. It carries a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh. The recipient is chosen by a selection board, whose present head is professor Chandrima Shaha, the president of the Indian National Science Academy (INSA).
Bangladesh top in South Asia in terms of women on board of listed companies
Bangladesh tops the list in South Asia in terms of women on board of listed companies, says a study conducted by International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE). According to the latest figures, there was an increase in the percentage of women who are independent directors on listed companies from five per cent in 2020 to six per cent, despite the impact of COVID-19, which has disproportionately affected women, said a press release issued by the IFC.
The findings were revealed at an event marking International Women’s Day. The IFC, DSE, UN Women, and United Nations Global Compact organised the programme. The IFC has partnered with the DSE, UN Women, and United Nations Global Compact for the seventh consecutive year to “Ring the Bell for Gender Equality”.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Bangladesh Capital: Dhaka;
- Bangladesh President: Abdul Hamid;
- Bangladesh Currency: Bangladeshi taka;
- Bangladesh Prime minister: Sheikh Hasina.
‘Mahatma Gandhi Green Triangle’ Unveiled In Madagascar
Mahatma Gandhi Green Triangle’ has been unveiled in Madagascar to mark Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. Ambassador of India to Madagascar, Abhay Kumar celebrated the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav by inaugurating a Green Triangle, along with Mayor of Antananarivo Naina Andriantsitohaina. The word green in the plaque signifies their commitment to sustainable development and saving the environment. The naming of this park as Mahatma Gandhi Green Triangle is an apt tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.
While addressing the ceremony, the Ambassador of India said that the Government of India has launched an initiative: Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM) to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of progressive India. The event was attended by members of local government, diplomatic corps, heads of international organisations, and members of the Indian Diaspora in Madagascar.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Madagascar Capital: Antananarivo;
- Madagascar Currency: Malagasy ariary;
- Madagascar President: Andry Rajoelina.
