Daily GK Update: 16th July 2022

 National Affairs

1. PM Modi inaugurates Bundelkhand Expressway

• PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the Bundelkhand Expressway at Kaitheri village in Orai tehsil of Jalaun district in UP.
• Bundelkhand Expressway will benefit the industrial growth of the region
• Agriculture-based industries will flourish and it will help the defence corridor resulting the overall development of the region.
• The 296-kilometre long, four-lane Bundelkhand Expressway passes through seven districts,  Chitrakoot, Banda, Mahoba, Hamirpur, Jalaun, Auraiya and Etawah.

 National Affairs

2. IIT Madras Tops in National Institutional Ranking Framework

• According to the Ministry of Education's National Institutional Ranking Framework, IIT Madras bagged the top spot among educational institutions in the country for the 4th consecutive year.
• Indian Indian Institute of Science is the best university in India Rankings-2022 
• IIM, Ahmedabad is the best management institute in the country. 
• AIIMS, New Delhi is the best medical college.
• Savitha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences in Chennai is the best dental college

 Schemes

3. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao programme to be extended to all district

• Women and Child Development (WCD) Ministry issued a guideline according to which Beti Bachao Beti Padhao will now be extended across the country. 
• BBBP is the Centre’s flagship scheme for women’s empowerment
• It focuses on the education of girls child and improving the sex ratio.
• It was launched in January 2015  to address sex-selective abortion.
• It is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Education

 Banking & Finance

4. RBI and Bank Indonesia sign MoU to improve mutual cooperation

• The RBI and the Bank Indonesia signed an MoU in Bali, Indonesia, to improve mutual cooperation between them.
• With this MoU, RBI and BI committed to deepening relations between the two central banks and strengthening the exchange of information and cooperation in the area of central banking.
• It includes payment systems, digital innovation in payments services, and a regulatory and supervisory framework. 

 Sports

5. IOA announces 322-strong Indian contingent for Commonwealth Games

• The Indian Olympic Association announced a 322-strong contingent including 215 athletes and 107 officials and support staff for the upcoming Birmingham Commonwealth Games. 
• The Games are scheduled to be held in British city from July 28 to August 8.
• Rajesh Bhandari, vice president of Boxing Federation of India (BFI), is the Chef de Mission of the squad.
• Team India will compete in 15 sporting disciplines as well as four disciplines in the para sports category.

 Banking & Finance

6. Kotak Mahindra Bank becomes first to integrate with new Income Tax portal

• Kotak Mahindra Bank has completed technical integration with the new e-filing portal of the IT department and has become the 1st private bank to fully integrate with the portal.
• Its customers can now pay their direct taxes through the e-pay tax tab on the portal. 
• This will make the tax payment process simple, instant, and convenient for customers.
• Last October, KMB became the 1st scheduled private sector bank to receive approval as a collections partner for taxes

 Banking & Finance

7. IAMAI to shut down Blockchain and Crypto Assets Council over regulatory con

• The Internet and Mobile Association of India has decided to shut down the Blockchain and Crypto Assets Council. 
• With this, IAMAI will cease to represent crypto-exchanges operating in India.
• IAMAI had created and nurtured BACC for four years.
• BACC is an industry association, which was under the aegis of the IAMAI.
• It represents the interests of the crypto ecosystem in India.
• It serves as an umbrella organisation for various blockchain firms to engage with the govt. 

 National Affairs

8. Varanasi to be 1st cultural and tourism capital of SCO

• Varanasi will be declared the first Cultural and Tourism Capital of the SCO for 2022-23. 
• It was announced by Secretary General of the bloc Zhang Ming.
• It is a new rotating initiative by the eight-member organisation to promote people-to-people contacts and tourism among the member states.
• The holy city of Varanasi is showcasing India's culture and traditions over the ages.
• Members: China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan.

 National Affairs

9. NSO Survey on proportion of unmarried persons

• According to the National Statistical Office, more Indians prefer to stay unmarried.
• In about 8 years from 2011-2019, the proportion of unmarried persons within the age bracket of 15-29 years has increased from 17.2% to 23%.
• The report said that the most number of unmarried youth was observed in 2019 in Jammu & Kashmir.
• J&K was followed by Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Punjab.
• In the National Youth Policy 2014, those aged 15 to 29 years are classified as youth.

 Science & Technology

10. Syngenta India launches Biodiversity Sensor Project with IIT Ropar

• Syngenta India announced a launch of Biodiversity Sensor Project, a biodiversity monitoring technology in association with IIT Ropar.
• Syngenta also flagged off India’s first Drone Yatra, that will travel 10,000 kms to create awareness on drone spraying among 10,000 farmers.
• The Yatra will travel to 13 states to demonstrate and educate farmers on use of drones.
• For the Biodiversity Sensor Project, Syngenta India is working with IIT Ropar & Fraunhofer Institute.