Honours & Awards
1. Former German leader, Angela Merkel wins 2022 UN refugee prize
- Former German chancellor, Angela Merkel has won the 2022 United Nations refugee agency’s prestigious Nansen Refugee Award.
- Reason: For her determination to protect asylum seekers while in office.
- In 2015 and 2016, Germany had welcomed the more than 1.2 million refugees and asylum seekers of migrant crisis.
- Nansen Award:
- Established: 1954
- This award was created to honour of the first UNHCR, Norwegian Arctic explorer and humanitarian Fridtjof Nansen.
- Prize: $150,000
National Affairs
2. India emerges as largest producer of sugar in world
- India has emerged as the world’s largest producer and second largest exporter of sugar.
- In 2021-22, more than five thousand lakh metric tons of sugarcane was produced in the country.
- Out of this, 35 lakh metric ton sugar was used for ethanol production and 359 lakh metric ton of sugar was produced by sugar mills.
- The country has registered records highest sugar exports of over 109 lakh metric tons.
- These exports earned foreign currency of about 40 thousand crore rupees.
Banking & Finance
3. World Trade Organization forecasts slowdown in global trade growth
- WTO has forecasted a slowdown of global trade growth for 2023.
- Reason: Sharply higher energy and food prices and rising interest rates curb import demand
- As per the report, the merchandise trade would increase by 3.5% in 2022-23, up from its April estimate of 3%.
- However, for 2023, it sees trade growth of just 1%, compared with a previous forecast of 3.5%.
- The WTO has provided a band of trade growth expansion of 2% to 4.9% for 2022-23 and of -2.8% to 4.6% for 2023.
National Affairs
4. PM Modi inaugurates AIIMS in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh
- PM Modi has inaugurated AIIMS at Kothipura in Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh.
- This institution will be built over an area of about 247 acres with the cost of 1471 crore rupees.
- Other projects:
- Inaugurated 140 crore rupees Government Hydro Engineering College in Bilaspur.
- Foundation stones of 350 crore rupees for Medical Devices Park at Nalagarh.
- Pinjore-Nalagarh four-lane road project under the Bharat Mala project with a cost of 1692 crore rupees.
State Affairs
5. Gujarat launched Atmanirbhar Gujarat Schemes 2022 for Industries
- The Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel has launched an incentive scheme for industries to attract Rs 12.5 lakh crore of investments to the state in the next 10 years.
- He has unveiled the “Aatmanirbhar Gujarat Schemes 2022 for assistance to Industries”.
- This scheme will remain in force for MSMEs, Large and Mega industrial units.
- The incentive schemes also include EPF and SGST reimbursements.
- A similar incentive scheme was launched in 2016.
Important Dates
6. 66th Dhammachakra Pravartan Day celebrated at DeekshaBhoomi in Nagpur
- The 66th Dhammachakra Pravartan Day is being celebrated at DeekshaBhoomi in Nagpur, Maharashtra.
- Reason: Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar (Architect of the Indian Constitution) has embraced Buddhism on the day of Viajaydashmi on 14th October 1956 with lakhs of his followers.
- From that date, the day is celebrated as DhammaChakra pravartan day.
- Millions of followers have reached Deekshabhoomi, to pay their respects to the Central memorial of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar in this day.
Honours & Awards
7. Nobel Prize in Chemistry for 2022 awarded for "Click" chemistry
- The 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to Carolyn Bertozzi (American), Morton Meldal (Danish) and Barry Sharpless (American).
- Reason: For their work on snipping molecules together which is known as click chemistry.
- Click chemistry: It is about linking together molecules like those in living cells.
- Use: To explore cells and track biological processes; can be applied in cancer treatment drugs.
- Before this, Barry Sharples has won Nobel in 2001 for chemistry.
National Affairs
8. HM Amit Shah announces ST status for Paharis in J&K
- Union Home Minister, Amit Shah has announced Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the Pahari community in Jammu and Kashmir.
- Justice GD Sharma Commission has recommended reservation for Paharis in his report that was submitted to the government.
- The reservation will be rolled out after completion of administrative formalities.
- The minister has inaugurated and laid foundation stone of various developmental works of Kashmir Division.
Banking & Finance
9. IFC launches financing platform to respond to global food crisis
- The investment arm of World Bank, the International Finance Corp. (IFC) has launched a $6 billion financing facility.
- Aim: To strengthen private sector’s ability to respond to the crisis and help support food production.
- Concern: The Ukraine war and an uneven global recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic have raised the levels of hunger and malnourishment.
- This crises have already worsened by climate change(damaging harvests and reducing yields).
Banking & Finance
10. India's Rupay debit card to be launched in Oman
- National Payments Corporation of India has signed a historic MoU with Central Bank Of Oman to launch the Rupay debit card in Oman.
- The MoU was signed during the visit of MoS for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs, V. Muraleedharan to Oman.
- It enables the acceptance of Indian RuPay cards issued by banks in India at all OmanNet network ATMs, POS & E-commerce sites.
- As a reciprocal, acceptance of Oman cards/MPCSS in the networks of NPCI in India.
Banking & Finance
11. NABARD sanctions Rs 222 cr for infra in rural schools in Punjab
- Nabard has sanctioned Rs 221.99 crore under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) to Punjab government.
- Reason: For the construction of 2,328 additional classrooms, 762 labs and 648 playgrounds in rural schools in all 23 districts of Punjab.
- Presently, there are 632 projects involving the RIDF assistance of Rs 686 crore under varous stages of implementation by the Department of School Education, Punjab.
Banking & Finance
12. CCI approves merger of ZEEL, BEPL with Culver Max Entertainment
- The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved amalgamation of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEE) and Bangla Entertainment Private Limited (BEPL) with Culver Max Entertainment Private Limited (CME), with certain modifications.
- CME: It is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation (SGC), is part of the SGC group (SGC Group).
- BEPL: It is also an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of SGC and a part of the SGC Group.
Science & Technology
13. Tamil Nadu’s Mamallapuram beats Taj Mahal in number of foreign visitors
- As per the report, Indian Tourism Statistics 2022, the Mamallapuram (Unesco world heritage site), a Tamil Nadu town has beaten the Taj Mahal in the number of foreign visitors.
- As per the report, 1,44,984 foreign visitors came to Mamallapuram in 2021-22.
- While the Taj Mahal (Agra) has occupied the second spot with 38,922 foreign visitors.
- Top five states for domestic tourist visits in 2021: Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra
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