Daily Current Affairs August 21 & 22 2022 | Latest News | Download PDF

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CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

World Senior Citizen’s Day- August 21

• World Senior Citizen Day is observed on August 21.
• It’s an effort by the young to acknowledge the problems that our elders face due to their age and raise awareness about those issues.
• The day also recognizes their contributions to the world’s advancement as leaders, professionals, and entrepreneurs.

HISTORY

• On December 14, 1990, the first World Senior Citizens’ Day was proclaimed by the General Assembly of the United Nations.
• However, the first celebration was marked on October 1, 1991.
• Ideally, it was former President of the United States of America, Ronald Reagan who officially founded World Senior Citizens’ Day.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

‘Yamuna Par Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ organized by NMCG:

• The event “Yamuna Par Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav” was organized at the water sports club in New Delhi by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), the Ministry of Jal Shakti, and the Department of Water Resources, River Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation.
• The Yamuna Par Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav was presided over by Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, the union minister for Jal Shakti.
• BSF personnel presented Shekhawat with a guard of honor on this occasion.
• He also raised the national flag, Tiranga, to mark the Yamuna Par Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
• During the event, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed between the NMCG and Sahakar Bharati to realize the vision of sustainable and viable economic development through public participation, the establishment, and strengthening of local cooperatives, and directing their cooperation towards achieving the mission of Arth-Ganga.
• Yamuna Par Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav ImAvatar, a tourism-related platform, was also established to promote livelihood opportunities.
• The “Arth-Ganga” program can be promoted by the travel industry.

Shipping Ministry Proposes Amendment To 110-Year-Old Indian Ports Act:

• A draft to amend the Indian Ports Act, of 1908, has been made public by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways.
• It aims to implement significant reforms in the sector by including minor ports in the national framework, developing a new dispute-resolution procedure, and strengthening the maritime state development council (MSDC).
• More than 110 years have passed since the Indian Ports Act of 1908.
• It has become essential that the Act be updated to take into account current frameworks, include India’s duties under international agreements, address new environmental concerns, and support the consultative development of the ports industry in the interest of the country.
• The change to the Major Ports Authority Act, which was introduced last year and drew criticism for the potential for a greater concentration of power in the hands of the central government—which oversees 12 major ports in India—could, according to sector experts, suffer the same fate.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

India’s first electric double-decker bus launched in Mumbai, Maharashtra

• Union Minister of Road, Transport and Highway Shri Nitin Gadkari launched India’s first electric double-decker bus named Switch EiV 22 at YB Center in south Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• The electric bus was designed, developed, and manufactured in India by Switch Mobility, Ashok Leyland’s electric vehicle arm.
• The bus will be run by the Mumbai civic transport body from September 2022.
• Two new electric buses, including the first air-conditioned double-decker bus in India, will join the fleet of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST).

Key features of AC double-decker buses:

• App-based seat booking, live tracking, and payment on the BEST Chalo App
• A dedicated USB charging port for every passenger
• Adjustable footrest
• Express service with fewer stops during peak hours
• Monthly passes for regular passengers
• The Switch EiV22 has a 231kWh battery with a claimed range of up to 250km
• The double-decker has a lightweight aluminum body construction, which offers a higher passenger-to-weight ratio and a competitive cost per km, per passenger.
• It can ferry nearly twice the number of seated passengers as a comparable single-decker bus with just an 18% increase in kerb weight.

Note :

• The new electric double-decker bus Switch EiV 22 will be the world’s first semi-low floor, an air-conditioned, electric double-decker with a wider door on the rear overhang and a rear staircase.
• CEO of Switch Mobility India: Mahesh Babu

About Maharashtra :

• Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari
• Chief minister: Eknath Shinde
• Deputy Chief Minister : Devendra Fadanvis
• Capital: Mumbai

Jharkhand Becomes 1st State To Introduce Blockchain Technology for Seed Distribution

• The Directorate of Agriculture, Jharkhand & global blockchain technology company, SettleMint, India jointly announced the launch of seed distribution to farmers based on blockchain technology.

Aim :

• To reduce pilferage & get rid of spurious seeds that the farmers receive under various government schemes including the seed exchange scheme.
• The platform provides information on a real-time basis to monitor activities like Large Area Multipurpose Society (LAMPS)/ Primary Agriculture Credit Society (PACS) / Farmers Producers Organization (FPO) wise seed distribution to farmers in different districts, quantity/variety of seed being purchased by farmers, no. of times seed is being purchased by a farmer, etc.
• During the current Kharif season (June-Oct), the department has covered seed distribution of cereals, pulses, oilseeds, and coarse cereals completely via blockchain technology.
• To date, more than 3 lakh farmers, 600 LAMPS/PACS/Private distributors, and 160 FPOs have been registered on the platform.

Note :

• Jharkhand becomes the first in India to implement blockchain technology for Seed Distribution in the agricultural sector.
• CEO of SettleMint India: Mr. Shahzad Fatmi

About Jharkhand :

• Governor: Ramesh Bais
• Chief Minister : Hemant Soren
• Capital: Ranchi

Goa becomes the 1st ‘Har Ghar Jal’ Certified State & Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu become the 1st ‘Har Ghar Jal’ Certified UT in India

• Goa and Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu (D&NH and D&D) became the first ‘Har Ghar Jal’ certified State & first ‘Har Ghar Jal’ Certified UT in India
• People from all the villages have declared their village as ‘Har Ghar Jal’ through a resolution passed by Gram Sabha, certifying that all households in the villages have access to safe drinking water through taps, ensuring that ‘No One is Left Out.
• All63 lakh rural households of Goa & 85,156 of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu have access to potable water through tap connection.
• Village Water and Sanitation Committee (VWSC) or paani Samiti has been constituted in all the 378 villages of Goa and 96 villages of D&NH and D&D.
• VWSC is responsible for the operation, maintenance, and repair of water supply infrastructure developed under the ‘Har Ghar Jal’ program.

About Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) :

• JJM is a flagship program of the GoI which was announced by the visionary Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on August 15, 2019.

Aim :

• To make provision of potable tap water supply in adequate quantity, of prescribed quality, and on a regular & long-term basis to every rural household of the country by 2024.
• The program is implemented by the GoI in partnership with States/UTs.

About Goa :

• Governor: P. S. Sreedharan Pillai
• Chief Minister : Pramod Sawant
• Capital : Panaji (Panjim)
• Airport: Goa International Airport (the international airport in Dabolim, Goa, India)

CPRI signed MoU with the Chhattisgarh govt to establish a regional testing laboratory

• The Central Power Research Institute (CPRI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Chhattisgarh to set up Central India’s largest regional testing laboratory in Raipur district, Chhattisgarh.
• The MoU was signed between Chhattisgarh energy department secretary Mr. Ankit Anand and Additional Director of CPRI, Mr. BA Sawale, in the presence of Chief Minister Shri Bhupesh Baghel.

About the Agreement :

• Under the agreement, the national-level testing unit will be established on an area of 10 acres in sector-30 of Nava Raipur Atar Nagar which will have test facilities for transformers, energy meters, transformer oil, and switch fuse units, and other electricity-related equipment.

About CPRI :

• Established: 1960
• Headquarters: Bangalore, Karnataka
• It was re-organized into an autonomous Society in the year 1978 under the aegis of the Ministry of Power, GoI.

About Chhattisgarh :

• Governor: Anusuiya Uikey
• Chief minister: Bhupesh Baghel
• Capital: Raipur

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING & FINANCE

RBI cancels license of Deccan Urban Co-operative Bank

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) canceled the license of Deccan Urban Co-operative Bank Ltd, Vijayapur, Karnataka due to inadequate capital and no earning prospects.
• The bank has failed to comply with the requirements of Sections 22(3) (a), 22 (3) (b), 22(3)(c), 22(3) (d), and 22(3)(e) read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
• The bank is prohibited from conducting the business of ‘banking’ as defined in Section 5(b) read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 with immediate effect
• On liquidation, every depositor would be entitled to receive deposit insurance claim amount of his/her deposits up to a monetary ceiling of ₹5,00,000 from Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC) subject to the provisions of DICGC Act, 1961.
• As per the data, more than 99% of the depositors are entitled to receive the full amount of their deposits from DICGC.
• As of August 06, 2022, DICGC has already paid ₹07 crore of the total insured deposits under the provisions of Section 18A of the DICGC Act, 1961 based on the willingness received from the concerned depositors of the bank.

About RBI :

• Established: 1 April 1935
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• Governor : Shaktikanta Das
• Deputy governors: Mahesh Kumar Jain, M. Rajeshwar Rao, Michael Patra, and T. Rabi Shankar.

RBI imposes Rs 5 lakh penalty on fintech firm Obopay Mobile Technology India Private Limited

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a monetary penalty of ₹5,93,000 on Obopay Mobile Technology India Private Limited for non-compliance with certain provisions of the Master Directions on Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs) dated August 27, 2021, & the Know Your Customer (KYC).
• The penalty has been imposed in the exercise of powers vested in RBI under Section 30 of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.
• This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the entity with its customers.

Recent News :

• In July 2022, RBI imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 1.68 crore on Ola Financial Services Pvt. Ltd. for non-compliance with the banking regulator’s certain provisions and Know Your Customer (KYC) guidelines.

SEBI issued Guidelines for overseas investment by AIFs / VCFs

• Capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has allowed new guidelines for Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) and Venture Capital Funds (VCFs) for investing abroad, under which overseas investment firms won’t need to have an Indian connection.

About the new guidelines :

• Under the rules, AIFs can invest in securities of companies incorporated outside India.
• Besides, VCFs are allowed to make investments in off-shore venture capital undertaking, subject to certain conditions.
• AIFs or VCFs will be allowed to invest in an overseas investee company, which is incorporated in a country whose securities market regulator is a signatory to the International Organization of Securities Commission’s (IOSCO) Multilateral Memorandum of Understanding or a signatory to the bilateral MoU with SEBI.
• AIFs or VCFs will not invest in an overseas investee company, which is incorporated in a country identified by Financial Action Task Force (FATF)
• It will have to apply to Sebi for allocation of overseas investment limit in the format.

About SEBI :

• Established: January 30, 1992
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• Chairman : Madhabi Puri Buch
• It is the regulatory body for securities and commodity markets in India under the ownership of the Ministry of Finance, GoI.

ICG signs MoU with 8 banks including IDFC First

• For the welfare of its troops, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) signed MoUs with 8 banks to get customized banking services for its personnel deployed across India.
• Along with the IDFC First bank, the MoU was signed with 7 other banks including ICICI, Axis, HDFC, Yes Bank, and Punjab National Bank (PNB).

Aim :

• To get special salary accounts from the banks.

About ICG :

• Founded: 1 February 1977 by the Coast Guard Act, 1978 of the Parliament of India.
• Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi, India
• Director General: Virender Singh Pathania
• The Indian Coast Guard operates five regions & each region is headed by an officer of the rank of Inspector-General.

Coast Guard regions	Regional HQ	Regional commander
Western Region (W)	Mumbai, Maharashtra	S Paramesh
Eastern Region (E)	Chennai, Tamil Nadu	Anand Prakash Badola
North-East Region (NE)	Kolkata, West Bengal	Maneesh V Pathak
Andaman & Nicobar Region (A&N)	Port Blair, Andaman & Nicobar Islands	B Sharma
North-West Region (NW)	Gandhinagar, Gujarat	AK Harbola

Aegon Life Insurance launches #PlayForOurHeroes campaign

• To celebrate 75 years of India’s independence, Aegon Life Insurance Company (ALIC), digital India’s life insurance company, has launched ‘#PlayForOurHeroes’.
• It is a digital campaign that uses a game called ‘The Game of Life on the company website to spread awareness about the importance of life insurance.
• The company will be donating to the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund (AFFDF).
• Aegon Life is urging people through this campaign to play and score points With the tagline, ‘The more you play, the more we donate.

About ALIC :

• Founded: 2008
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• MD & CEO: Satishwar Balakrishnan

It is a joint venture between Dutch Aegon N.V., a multinational insurance, pensions, and asset management company, & The Times Group one of India’s largest media conglomerates.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

Edelweiss to introduce India’s first gold and silver fund:

• In India, Edelweiss Mutual Fund (Edelweiss MF), an asset management company (AMC), will launch the first program that offers exposure to both gold and silver through a single fund.
• The September 7 deadline for the Edelweiss Gold and Silver ETF Fund of Fund (FoF) by Edelweiss MF new fund offer has been set.
• The Edelweiss MF scheme’s fund managers are Bhavesh Jain and Bharat Lahoti.
• Silver-based mutual funds were first established in January of this year, while Nippon India ETF Gold BeES, the first gold fund in India, was introduced in March 2007.
• The new approach from Edelweiss MF will be adjusted regularly to achieve equal exposure to the two metals.

Ratan Tata has established Goodfellows, a senior-focused startup:

• Goodfellows is a company that provides companionship services for senior citizens, and it was established by Ratan Tata, a pioneer in the sector.
• The platform received unspecified startup funding from Ratan Tata, Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons.
• Goodfellows completed a beta test during the previous six months, and the service is currently offered in Mumbai.
• The following cities are Pune, Chennai, and Bangalore.
• The goal of the Goodfellows company is to establish enduring bonds between seniors and recent graduates.
• Every service a grandchild might provide is available at Goodfellows.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUS AND AGREEMENT

MasterCard tie-up with badminton players to promote digital payments in India:

• Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, and Chirag Shetty, all badminton players, have been named brand ambassadors for Mastercard in India.
• The new ambassadors, who have won the prestigious Thomas Cup 2022 and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022, will work with Mastercard to raise awareness of the security, convenience, and safety of digital payments in India.
• The RBI’s initiatives and Prime Minister Modi’s vision of a digital India are both supported by this relationship.
• Anirban Lahiri serves as a brand ambassador for Mastercard, which earlier this year added Shiv Kapur to its elite group of golfers.
• In addition to badminton, Mastercard has significant investments in a variety of sports, including tennis, cricket, soccer, and e-sports.

About Mastercard:

• Founded: 16 December 1966
• Headquarters: New York, United States
• CEO: Michael Miebach
• Executive Chairman: Ajay Banga.

TCS partnership with the five-star bank to offer hyper-personalized customer experience:

• A Financial Institutions, Inc. subsidiary named “Five Star Bank” and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) have teamed up to embark on a digital transformation project.
• Using the TCS Client Intelligence & Insights (CI&I) analytics platform, this alliance allows it to assess loan risk and provide highly customized customer experiences.
• TCS will make use of the real-time contextual engagement tools offered by the AI-powered CI&I platform to engage customers in a more individualized way across all channels and enable the bank to get insights into attrition blind spots.

About Tata Consultancy Services:

• CEO: Rajesh Gopinathan
• Headquarters: Mumbai
• Founded: 1 April 1968.

IRCTC & BSF signs MoU to ensure safety and security of booking data, other facilities:

• The Border Security Force (BSF) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to ensure the safety and security of booking data for the troops of India’s border guarding force via its air e-ticket service.
• The agreement will provide authorized BSF workers with extra baggage, lounge access, freight, and reduced cancellation and rescheduling fees.
• This service will offer a special web gateway with a 60-day credit option.
• With increased luggage, lounge, and cargo space, as well as lower cancellation or rescheduling fees for authorized BSF workers, this internal air booking system, will guarantee the security and protection of booking data.
• The MoU would help the BSF, which protects the 4,096-kilometer border between India and Bangladesh and the 3,323-kilometer border between India and Pakistan, by giving its employees improved facilities.

About Border Security Force:

• Director General: Pankaj Kumar Singh
• Founded: 1 December 1965
• Headquarters: New Delhi, India.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING AND INDEX

Vistara is the second-largest domestic airline in terms of market share:

• Full-service With a 10.4% share of the domestic market last month, Vistara overtook IndiGo, the market leader with 58.8%, as the second-largest airline.
• The airline is a joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines.
• Air India (8.4%), GoFirst (8.2%), and SpiceJet (8%), the third, fourth, and fifth-placed carriers, were only a few decimal places apart. 7 million passengers were transported by Indian airlines on domestic routes in July, nearly doubling the number from a year earlier but less than the 10.5 million passengers transported in June 2022.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Govt extends tenure of DCGI chief Mr. Venugopal Somani by three months

• According to an order issued by the Union Health Ministry, The tenure of V G Somani as the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has been extended by three months
• Earlier, Dr. Somani was appointed DCGI for a term of three years on August 14, 2019.

About DCGI :

• DCGI is the head of the department of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization of the GoI.
• It is responsible to ensure the quality of drug supply across India.
• It comes under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

CCI approves EQT AB’s acquisition of Baring Private Equity Asia Group

• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved EQT AB’s acquisition of Baring Private Equity Asia Group Limited (BPEA) including its subsidiaries (BPEA Group) 100% of the general partner entities (GPs).
• BPEA Group and GPs are collectively referred to as Target.
• It has also approved Jean Eric Salata Rothleder’s (BPEA Founder) acquisition of up to 9.9% of the equity shareholding of EQT.
• EQT is a purpose-driven global investment organization focused on active ownership strategies
• BPEA Group is dual-headquartered in Hong Kong and Singapore and is a pan-Asian private markets firm.

About CCI :

• Established: 14 October 2003
• Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi, India
• Chairman: Ashok Kumar Gupta
• Secretary : P K Singh
• CCI is the chief national competition regulator in India.
• It is a statutory body within the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

CCI approves acquisition by Katsura Investments & Varmora Granito Private Limited

• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approves the acquisition by Katsura Investments in Varmora Granito Private Limited and certain other entities & Varmora Granito Private Limited in some of its Group Companies and other entities.
• The proposed combination of the Katsura Investments’s (Acquirer) acquisition of up to 40% equity shareholding in the Varmora Granito Private Limited (Target) on a fully diluted basis along with the acquisition of certain rights.
• It comprises Target’s acquisition of ownership interest in Renite and Simola & additional shareholding in some of its group companies.

About Katsura Investments group :

• The Katsura Investments is a newly incorporated, special purpose vehicle, incorporated under the laws of the Republic of Mauritius, and does not have any business activities in India.
• It is solely controlled by CAPG-II, an investment fund that is advised by the affiliates of the Katsura Investments group.
• The Katsura Investments Group is a global alternative asset manager, which manages funds that invest globally across 3 investment disciplines

1. Global private equity
2. Global credit
3. Investment solutions

CCI Clears amalgamation of CSSL & JSW Ispat with & into JSW Steel Limited

• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approves the amalgamation of Creixent Special Steels Limited (CSSL) & JSW Ispat Special Products Limited (JSW Ispat) with & into JSW Steel Limited (JSW Steel) under Section 31(1) of the Competition Act, 2002.

About JSW Steel :

• Incorporated: 1994 under the laws of India.
• It is the flagship company of the JSW group.
• It is primarily engaged in the manufacture and sale of a diverse range of iron and steel products in India and abroad.
• It is listed on the National Stock Exchange of India Limited and BSE Limited.
• About JSW Ispat :
• Incorporated: 1990 under the laws of India.
• It is engaged in the manufacture of iron, semi-finished steel, long steel products, etc.
• It is listed on the National Stock Exchange of India Limited and BSE Limited.

About CSSL :

• Incorporated: 2018 under the laws of India.
• It is the holding company of JSW Ispat.
• It is inter alia engaged in the business of trading in steel and steel products and holding investments.
• CCI approves acquisition of the stake in SVPL by IBEF IV, India SME Investments Fund – I, MOFPL & others
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approves the acquisition of the stake in Simpolo Vitrified Private Limited (SVPL/ Target) by India Business Excellence Fund IV (IBEF IV), India SME Investments Fund – I (India SME), Motilal Oswal Finvest Limited (MOFPL), partners of Simpolo Ceramics (SC / Simpolo Ceramics) (collectively, SC Partners) and the shareholders of Nexion International Private Limited (Nexion), viz., Aghara & Sons (Aghara) and Ceramiche Speranza SPA (Ceramiche SPA).
• The proposed combination also contemplates the transfer of the business of SC and Nexion into SVPL.

About SVPL :

• SVPL is in the business of designing, manufacturing, and sale of vitrified tiles.
• It is also engaged in the trading of various kinds of tiles, sanitaryware and bath fittings, faucets, and allied products.
• Its subsidiary, Nexion Surfaces is a newly incorporated wholly owned subsidiary of SVPL and does not have any business operations as of date.

Key Highlights :

• IBEV IV is a category II Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) registered with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
• MOFPL is a wholly owned subsidiary of Motilal Oswal Financial Services Limited (MOFSL).
• India SME is a private equity fund under the SEBI AIF CAT II License in India.
• Aghara (with 7 SC Partners)is an investment firm, with no business operations in India except its 50% shareholding in

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Israeli scientists create the world’s first synthetic embryo without sperm

• A team of stem cell researchers in Israel has developed the world’s first synthetic embryo outside the womb using stem cells cultured in a petri dish.
• Jacob Hanna of Weizmann’s Molecular Genetics Department, who headed the research team.
• These cells were cultured without the use of fertilized eggs, bypassing the need for sperm.
• The study was published in the journal Cell.
• It highlights the potential of naïve pluripotent cells to self-organize and functionally reconstitute and model the entire mammalian embryo.
• The researchers separated the stem cells into three groups, one contained cells intended to develop into embryonic organs themselves, and the other two groups were pretreated for only 48 hours to overexpress one of two types of genes: master regulators of either the placenta or the yolk sac.
• Compared to natural mouse embryos, the synthetic models displayed a 95% similarity in both the shape of internal structures and the gene expression patterns of different cell types.

Daily CA on August 21 & 22:

• World Senior Citizen Day is observed on August 21.
• The event “Yamuna Par Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav” was organized at the water sports club in New Delhi by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), the Ministry of Jal Shakti, and the Department of Water Resources, River Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation.
• A draft to amend the Indian Ports Act, of 1908, has been made public by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways.
• In India, Edelweiss Mutual Fund (Edelweiss MF), an asset management company (AMC), will launch the first program that offers exposure to both gold and silver through a single fund.
• Goodfellows is a company that provides companionship services for senior citizens, and it was established by Ratan Tata, a pioneer in the sector.
• Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, and Chirag Shetty, all badminton players, have been named brand ambassadors for Mastercard in India.
• A Financial Institutions, Inc. subsidiary named “Five Star Bank” and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) have teamed up to embark on a digital transformation project.
• BSF has signed an MoU with the IRCTC to ensure the safety and security of booking data for the troops of India’s border guarding force via its air e-ticket service.
• Vistara overtook IndiGo, the market leader with 8%, as the second-largest airline.
• Union Minister of Road, Transport and Highway Shri Nitin Gadkari launched India’s first electric double-decker bus named Switch EiV 22 at YB Center in south Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• The Directorate of Agriculture, Jharkhand & global blockchain technology company, SettleMint, India jointly announced the launch of seed distribution to farmers based on blockchain technology.
• Goa and Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu (D&NH and D&D) became the first ‘Har Ghar Jal’ certified State & first ‘Har Ghar Jal’ Certified UT in India
• The Central Power Research Institute (CPRI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Chhattisgarh to set up Central India’s largest regional testing laboratory in Raipur district, Chhattisgarh.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) canceled the license of Deccan Urban Co-operative Bank Ltd, Vijayapur, Karnataka due to inadequate capital and no earning prospects.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a monetary penalty of ₹5,93,000 on Obopay Mobile Technology India Private Limited for non-compliance with certain provisions of the Master Directions on Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs) dated August 27, 2021, & the Know Your Customer (KYC).
• Capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has allowed new guidelines for Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) and Venture Capital Funds (VCFs) for investing abroad, under which overseas investment firms won’t need to have an Indian connection.
• For the welfare of its troops, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) signed MoUs with 8 banks to get customized banking services for its personnel deployed across India.
• To celebrate 75 years of India’s independence, Aegon Life Insurance Company (ALIC), digital India’s life insurance company, has launched ‘#PlayForOurHeroes’.
• According to an order issued by the Union Health Ministry, The tenure of V G Somani as the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has been extended by three months
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved EQT AB’s acquisition of Baring Private Equity Asia Group Limited (BPEA) including its subsidiaries (BPEA Group) 100% of the general partner entities (GPs).
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approves the acquisition by Katsura Investments in Varmora Granito Private Limited and certain other entities & Varmora Granito Private Limited in some of its Group Companies and other entities.
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approves the amalgamation of Creixent Special Steels Limited (CSSL) & JSW Ispat Special Products Limited (JSW Ispat) with & into JSW Steel Limited (JSW Steel) under Section 31(1) of the Competition Act, 2002.
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approves the acquisition of the stake in Simpolo Vitrified Private Limited (SVPL/ Target) by India Business Excellence Fund IV (IBEF IV), India SME Investments Fund – I (India SME), Motilal Oswal Finvest Limited (MOFPL), partners of Simpolo Ceramics (SC / Simpolo Ceramics) (collectively, SC Partners) and the shareholders of Nexion International Private Limited (Nexion), viz., Aghara & Sons (Aghara) and Ceramiche Speranza SPA (Ceramiche SPA).
• A team of stem cell researchers in Israel has developed the world’s first synthetic embryo outside the womb using stem cells cultured in a petri dish.