NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Kiren Rijiju Gives Additional Charge Of Ministry Of
Food Processing Industry: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has
been given an additional charge of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries
after Union Minister and Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party Chief Pashupati Kumar
Paras resigned from the Union Cabinet yesterday. The President’s office said
that President Droupadi
Murmu has accepted the resignation of Mr.Paras with immediate
effect. Mr Rijiju is currently holding the charge of the Ministry of Earth
Sciences.
2. India’s 1st Battery Energy storage GigaFactory to be
launched in J&K: GoodEnough Energy will start operations at India’s first battery energy storage gigafactory in the northern region
of Jammu and Kashmir by October. The facility will help industry in
cutting more than 5 million tons of carbon emissions in a year. GoodEnough has
already spent 1.5 billion rupees ($18.07 million) on the 7 gigawatts per hour
(GWH) facility and will spend 3 billion rupees by 2027 to raise capacity to 20
GWH. Battery energy storage projects are critical to India’s ambitious plan to
expand its renewable energy capacity to 500 gigawatts (GW) by 2030, from 178 GW
at present. India has set a 2070 goal for becoming net zero.
3. Kumar Venkatasubramanian appoints as CEO of P&G
India: Leading
FMCG maker P&G India has appointed Kumar Venkatasubramanian as CEO of
the company, with effect from 1 May 2024. The current CEO, L V Vaidyanathan
will leave the company to pursue personal interests after 28 years of service. Kumar
is currently leading the P&G business in Australia and New Zealand as CEO. Before the Australia role, Kumar was leading sales team in
P&G India until 2020.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. World Forestry Day 2024: 21st March: World Forestry Day is celebrated on March 21 each year to promote the
sustainable management, conservation, and development of all types of forests
for the benefit of current and future generations. It was established by the
United Nations General Assembly in 2012 to raise awareness about the importance
of forests and trees. The theme for World Forestry Day 2024 is “Forests and
innovation: new solutions for a better world.”
2. Ireland’s PM Leo Varadkar announces resignation: Ireland’s Prime Minister Leo Varadkar says he
is stepping down as the leader of the governing Fine Gael party. In the
surprise announcement Varadkar said he would also relinquish his role as prime
minister as soon as a successor is chosen.
Varadkar,
whose mother is Irish and father is Indian, was also Ireland’s first biracial
prime minister.
3. International Day for the Elimination of Racial
Discrimination 2024: The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
(IDERD), observed every March 21, brings the world community together to
increase its efforts in the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination
and racism. This day reminds us about the negative consequences of racial
discrimination. The theme for 2024 is “A Decade of Recognition, Justice, and
Development: Implementation of the International Decade for People of African
Descent”.
4. World Happiness Report – India ranks 126th; topped by
Finland: The 2024
World Happiness Report has been released, with Finland as the happiest country for the
seventh consecutive year.
India ranked 126 out of the 143 countries Denmark
and Iceland retain their positions at second and third place, respectively,
with Sweden following closely at fourth. Notably, Costa Rica and Lithuania have
broken into the top 20 list for the first time, securing ranks 12 and 19,
respectively.
Afghanistan
retained its status as the unhappiest country in the world for yet another
year. Joining Afghanistan at the bottom of the list are Lebanon, Lesotho,
Sierra Leone, and Congo.
5. Vinay Kumar appointed Indian Ambassador to Russia: Vinay Kumar, an Indian Foreign Service officer of the 1992 batch, has been named as
the next Ambassador of India to
Russia. Kumar currently holds the position of Ambassador of India to
Myanmar. Russia, where elections were held recently, has been a longstanding
partner of India, with diplomatic ties between the two countries serving as a
cornerstone of India’s foreign policy.
6. 20 March – World Oral Health Day: World Oral Health
Day is celebrated every
year on March 20. Objective – To spread awareness around oral health and
its intricate link with your overall health. Theme 2024 – A Happy Mouth is A Happy Body World
Oral Health Day was first celebrated September 12, 2007, on the birthday of FDI
founder Dr Charles Godon. It was organised by the FDI World Dental Federation
to raise global awareness around importance of oral health and hygiene.
7. 21 March – World Poetry Day: World Poetry Day is
celebrated on every year on 21
March. This day is dedicated to poetry and the celebration of literature
in all forms. It is a time to recognize the importance of poetry in society and
to promote its usage as a means of expression and communication. Theme 2024 –
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. Rituraj Gaekwad appointed new skipper of CSK: The IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings (CSK) has appointed Ruturaj
Gaikwad as its new captain with Mahendra Singh Dhoni stepping down as the
skipper. The announcement will be a shocker for CSK fans as the IPL franchise
won five IPL titles under Dhoni's captaincy and he earned the title of
'Thalaiva' (Tamil for leader). Ruturaj made his debut in the IPL format in
2020, and quickly made an strong impression. He was retained by CSK in 2022
edition for Rs 6 crore
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. Gross Direct Tax collections for FY 2023-24 register a
growth of 18.74%: The provisional figures of Direct Tax collections for the Financial Year
2023-24 (as on 17.03.2024) show that Net collections are at Rs. 18,90,259 crore, compared to Rs.
15,76,776 crore in the corresponding period of the preceding Financial Year
(i.e. FY 2022-23), representing an
increase of 19.88%. The Net Direct Tax collection of Rs. 18,90,259 crore
(as on 17.03.2024) includes Corporation Tax (CIT) at Rs. 9,14,469 crore (net of
refund) and Personal Income Tax (PIT) including Securities Transaction Tax
(STT) at Rs. 9,72,224 crore (net of refund).
2. Airtel PB partners with Noise and Mastercard to unveil ‘A New Way To Pay’: Airtel Payments Bank has partnered with Noise, India’s premier wristwatch brand, and Mastercard, a worldwide payments technology business, to launch A New Way to Pay. The institutions have collaborated to create the Bank’s Airtel Payments Bank Smart Watch, which aims to revolutionise contactless payments by redefining and making them more accessible to a wider user base. These smartwatches, built by Noise and powered by Airtel Payments Bank, will improve Tap and Pay capabilities and the user experience by introducing the convenience of contactless payments via smart wearables.
No comments:
Post a Comment