Daily Current Affairs – March 19 & 20, 2024
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Daily Current Affairs - Banking - March 19 & 20, 2024
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National News
Government notifies new marketing code for pharma cos to curb unethical practices
- The Department of Pharmaceuticals notified a new code which prohibits pharma companies from offering gifts and travel facilities to healthcare professionals or their family members.
- The Uniform Code for Pharmaceuticals Marketing Practices (UCPMP) 2024 also bans supply of free samples to those who are not qualified to prescribe such a product.
- Similarly, no pecuniary advantage or benefit in kind may be offered, supplied, or promised to any person qualified to prescribe or supply drugs, by any pharmaceutical company or its agent i.e. distributors, wholesalers, retailers, etc.
- Companies or their representatives should not pay cash or monetary grant to any healthcare professional or their family members (both immediate and extended) under any pretext, as per the UCPMP code.
- All associations are requested to constitute an Ethics Committee for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (ECPMP), set up a dedicated UCPMP portal on their website, and take further necessary steps towards implementation of this Code.
- The promotion of a drug must be consistent with the terms of its marketing approval and a drug must not be promoted prior to receipt of its marketing approval from the competent authority, authorizing its sale or distribution, as per the code.
International News
Nepal names Pokhara as tourism capital
- Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamla Dahal had declared Pokhara as the “tourism capital of Nepal”.
- Nepal – Kathmandu (Capital) – Nepalese rupee (Currency) – Ram Chandra Poudel (President) – Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prime Minister) – Nepali (Official Language)
State News
Prime Minister unveils ‘Dekho Apna Desh People’s Choice 2024’ tourism initiative in Jammu & Kashmir
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the first-ever nationwide initiative ‘Dekho Apna Desh People’s Choice 2024’ in Jammu & Kashmir in order to identify the pulse of the nation on tourism.
- The aim of the nationwide poll is to engage with citizens to identify the most preferred tourist attractions and understand perceptions across five tourism categories, including spiritual, cultural and heritage, nature and wildlife, adventure, and other category.
- The ‘other’ category is where one can vote for their personal favourites and help uncover hidden tourism treasures in the form of unexplored tourism attractions and destinations like vibrant border villages, wellness tourism, wedding tourism, among others.
- He also launched the ‘Chalo India Global Diaspora Campaign’ with an aim to motivate the Indian diaspora to become Incredible India ambassadors and promote tourism to India.
- The campaign has been launched based on the clarion call of the Prime Minister, wherein he requested Indian diaspora members to encourage at least five non-Indian friends to travel to India.
- With more than 3 crore overseas Indians, the Indian diaspora can serve as a powerful catalyst for Indian tourism, acting as cultural ambassadors, the statement added.
- Prime Minister also launched development projects worth more than ₹6,400 crores during his visit to Jammu and Kashmir, which includes about ₹5,000 crores worth programme – the ‘Holistic Agriculture Development Programme’ – for boosting agri-economy in Jammu and Kashmir.
Banking and Finance
Finance Ministry notifies ₹90 coin to commemorate 90 years of RBI
- The Finance Ministry notified the issuance of a special commemorative coin of ₹90 denomination to mark the completion of 90 years of the RBI.
- One side of the coin shall bear the RBI’s logo in the centre, with RBI@90 inscribed below.
- This will be a silver coin with 99% silver purity, weighing about 40 grams.
- The face of the coin shall bear the Lion Capital of Ashoka Pillar in the centre with “Satyamev Jayate” inscribed in Devanagari script below it.
- Ministry of Finance – Nirmala Sitharaman,Cabinet Minister (Rajya Sabha MP,Karnataka) – Bhagwat Karad, Minister of State (Rajya Sabha MP,Maharashtra) & Pankaj Choudhary, Minister of State (Maharajganj,UP)
Perfios has become India's second unicorn of 2024
- B2B SaaS fintech company Perfios has become India’s second unicorn of 2024 as it raised $80 million in a new funding round from Teachers’ Venture Growth (TVG), a late-stage venture and growth investment arm of Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan.
- Founded in 2008, Perfios is serving the banking, financial services and insurance industry in 18 countries, empowering more than 1,000 financial institutions.
- Artificial intelligence startup Krutrim SI Designs became India’s first unicorn of 2024.
Reserve Bank of India imposes Monetary Penalty on DCB Bank & Tamilnad Mercentile Bank
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed a monetary penalty of ₹1.31 crore on Tamilnad Mercantile Bank Limited for non-compliance with certain directions issued by RBI on ‘Interest Rate on Advances’ and ‘Central Repository of Information on Large Credits (CRILC) – Revision in Reporting’.
- And also imposed a monetary penalty of ₹63.6 lakhs on DCB Bank Ltd. for non-compliance with certain directions issued by RBI on ‘Interest Rate on Advances’.
Agreements and MoUs signed
National Commission for Women Signs MoU with Railway Protection Force To Prevent & Combat Human Trafficking
- The National Commission for Women (NCW) have signed an MoU with Railway Protection Force in New Delhi to prevent and combat human trafficking.
- Railway Protection Force personnel deployed at Railway stations are playing a crucial role in the crime against women and children.
- The overall objective of this MoU is to provide a safe and secure travel experience to women.
- National Commission for Women – January 1992 (Former) – New Delhi (HQ) – Rekha Sharma (Chairperson)
SANY India signs MoU with J&K Bank to provide financial solutions
- SANY India, a leading manufacturer of construction equipment, has formalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with J&K Bank, aiming to stimulate substantial growth and development opportunities within the region, while facilitating easier access to SANY India’s advanced product line along with readily available financial solutions.
- This collaboration between SANY India and J&K Bank is strategically designed to leverage the strengths of both entities, providing comprehensive financial solutions to customers, including competitive interest rates and flexible repayment plans, to support the procurement of essential machinery for infrastructure projects.
Indian Navy signed MoU with Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
- Indian Navy signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, at Naval Headquarters, New Delhi, symbolising their commitment to promote technology development, innovative solutions and joint R&D.
- The strategic collaboration focuses on joint research and development initiatives involving teams from Indian Navy and IIT Kharagpur.
- The MoU will be co-ordinated by INS Shivaji, Lonavala.
- This alignment signifies a move towards a symbolic relationship between the Academia and the Military, fostering an environment conducive to innovation and knowledge exchange.
- Indian Navy – 26/01/1950 (Founded) – New Delhi (HQ) – Navy Day (December 4) – Admiral R. Hari Kumar (Chief of Naval Staff) – ‘May the Lord of Water be auspicious unto us’ (Motto)
Science and Technology
Election Commission launches 'Know Your Candidate' app for voters
- The Election Commission of India, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, announced the launch of a new mobile application called Know Your Candidate (KYC).
- This app allows voters to check if any candidate standing for elections in their constituency has a criminal record.
- The app is available for download on both Android and iOS platforms.
Noise launches smartwatch in partnership with Airtel Payments Bank
- Indian wearable brand Noise has launched a smartwatch in collaboration with Airtel Payments Bank, powered by
- The smartwatch comes with a Tap-and-Pay feature for contact less payments directly from the smartwatch.
- The smartwatch will empower Airtel Payments Bank’s customers to do more with their wearable, making it a one-stop solution for their daily lifestyle needs.
- Called the Airtel Payments Bank Smart Watch, the watch has NFC (near-field communication) chip for contact less payments at PoS (Point of Sale) terminals, retail outlets POS (Point of Sale) terminals, and various other touchpoints.
- Mastercard Inc. – 1966 (Founded) – New York (HQ) – Merit Janow (Chairman)
- Airtel Payments Bank Limited – 23/11/2016 (Founded) – New Delhi (HQ) – Anubrata Biswas (MD & CEO) – “Banking Is Now At Your Fingertips India’s First Payment Bank” (Tagline)
Appointments
Jharkhand Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan Given Additional Charge of Telangana Governor & Puducherry LG
- Jharkhand Governor P. Radhakrishnan has been given additional charge of Telangana Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry.
- The appointment comes after President Droupadi Murmu accepted the resignation of Tamilisai Soundararajan.
- She resigned from the post of Governor of Telangana and Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry.
IFS Officer Vinay Kumar Appointed as Ambassador Of India To Russia
- 1992 batch IFS officer Vinay Kumar has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Russia and will replace Pawan Kapoor.
- He is presently the Ambassador of India to
- Russia – Moscow (Capital) – Russian Ruble (Currency) – Vladimir Putin (President) – Mikhail Mishustin (Prime Minister) – Russian (Official Language) – Asia
Poonawalla Fincorp appointed Arvind Kapil as MD & CEO
- Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) Poonawalla Fincorp appointed Arvind Kapil as Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company and he will replace Abhay Bhutada, who has been elevated to a group-level role and will be taking up a strategic position at the Cyrus Poonawalla Group, managing its strategy, investment, and finance.
Appointments Committee of the Cabinet various appointments
- The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment Senior bureaucrat Rahul Singh as chairperson of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), as part of a senior-level bureaucratic reshuffle effected by the Centre.
- He is currently Additional Secretary, Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).
- He will succeed Nidhi Chhibber, who has been named Advisor in the Niti Aayog, in the rank and pay of Additional Secretary by temporarily upgrading the post and extending her central deputation tenure by one year beyond March 24, 2024.
- A P Das Joshi, a 1994-batch IAS officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre, will be Additional Secretary, DoPT in place of Singh.
- Rajeev Kumar Mital, Additional Secretary and Financial Advisor in the Department of Atomic Energy, has been appointed as Director General, National Mission for Clean Ganga under the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
- Gyanesh Bharti will be Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
- Deepak Narain has been named as Additional Secretary & Financial Advisor, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.
Kotak Bank appoints Jaideep Hansraj as President of ‘One Kotak’
- Kotak Mahindra Bank has appointed Kotak Securities MD and CEO Jaideep Hansraj as Group President – One Kotak, with effect from April 1, 2024.
- ‘One Kotak’ is the term used by the bank for its internal framework for inter-Group synergies and cross-selling opportunities.
- Shripal Shah, President and COO at Kotak Securities, will take over from Jaideep Hansraj as the MD & CEO of Kotak Securities.
- Kotak Mahindra Bank – 21/11/1985 (Founded) – Mumbai (HQ) – Ashok Vaswani (MD & CEO) – “Let’s Make Money Simple” (Tagline)
Reports
‘World Air Quality Report 2023’
- According to ‘World Air Quality Report 2023’ by the Swiss organisation IQAir, India was the world’s third most polluted country last year out of 134 countries
- With an average air annual 5 concentration of 54.4 micrograms per cubic metre, the country was better than only two of its neighbouring countries – Bangladesh and Pakistan.
- While Bangladesh remained the most polluted country in the world, with an average PM2.5 concentration of 79.9 micrograms per cubic metre, Pakistan was second, with a level of 73.7 micrograms per cubic metre.
- The report also identified Delhi as the most polluted capital city in the world for the 4th consecutive time.
- Delhi’s PM2.5 concentration was recorded at 7 micrograms per cubic metre in 2023, an increase from 89.1 micrograms per cubic metre in 2022
- The air quality situation has worsened when compared to the previous year (2022), when India ranked in 8th place, with an average PM2.5 level of 53.3 micrograms per cubic metre.
- The 2022 World Air Quality Report included data from 7,323 locations in 131 countries, regions and territories.
- In 2023, those numbers have grown to include 7,812 locations in 134 countries, regions and territories.
Awards and Recognitions
Prabha Varma to be awarded Saraswati Samman 2023
- Noted poet and litterateur Prabha Varma will be awarded the prestigious Saraswati Samman, 2023 for his verse novel Roudra Sathwikam.
- Instituted in 1991, Saraswati Samman is one of the most prestigious literary awards in the country.
- It is given every year to an outstanding literary work written in any Indian language by an Indian citizen and published within the last 10 years.
- It carries a citation, a plaque, and a cash prize of ₹15 lakh.
- The recipient is chosen by a selection committee, whose current head is former Supreme Court judge, Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri.
- He has bagged more than 70 awards, including the National Sahitya Akademi Award and the National Film Award.
- Roudra Sathwikam is a novel written in poetic verse in Malayalam and probes the conflict between power and politics, individual and state, art and power in a unique way was published in
Ratan Tata awarded PV Narasimha Rao Memorial Award
- Ratan Tata, former chairman of Tata Sons, was bestowed with the prestigious PV Narasimha Rao Memorial Award for his outstanding philanthropic contributions.
- The PV Narasimha Rao Memorial Award, named after the former Prime Minister of India, is an award of recognition for individuals who have demonstrated exceptional dedication to social welfare and humanitarian causes.
- He has also received two of the highest civilian awards of India — the Padma Vibhushan (2008) and Padma Bhushan (2000).
Sports News
3rd Edition of North East Games 2024
- Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio officially declared open the 3rd North East Games 2024 at Regional Centre for Sporting Excellence, Sovima.
- More than 3000 athletes from 8 North Eastern states are competing in 15 disciplines being held in 12 venues across three districts Chumoukedima, Dimapur and Kohima.
Odisha Chief Minister Inaugurates India’s First Indoor Athletics Centre, State-Of-Art Indoor Aquatic Center in BBSR
- Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, inaugurated India’s first Indoor Athletics Centre and Indoor Aquatic Centre at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
- He also laid the foundation stone for the Indoor Diving Centre.
- The Indoor Athletics Centre stands as India’s first capable of hosting indoor continental and regional championships.
- This world-class facility will be a training ground for the Reliance Foundation Athletics High-Performance Centre, which has been producing young athletics champions.
- The centre boasts a 10,000-square-meter track used in Olympics, marking a pioneering feat within the country.
- The centre includes a 200-meter synthetic track, an 80m+20m running track, and designated areas for long jump, triple jump, pole vault, and shot-put, each meticulously designed to meet specific athletic requirements.
- The facility features 60 twin-sharing rooms for those undergoing full-time coaching.
- Its iconic stature was solidified with the esteemed Category 1 certification from World Athletics in December 2023.
YES Bank partners with Indian Olympic Association for Paris Olympics 2024
- YES Bank announced its partnership with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) as the Official Banking Partner for Team India at the Paris Olympics 2024.
- As part of the collaboration, the bank launched the campaign ‘Milkar Jitayengey’ and introduced the ‘YES Glory Debit Card,‘ specially designed for India’s Olympic athletes.
- The bank also unveiled the ‘YES Glory’ savings account proposition, extending benefits to athletes and their immediate family members.
- The YES Glory account offers a range of benefits tailored to the needs of champion athletes.
- These perks include a complimentary Welcome on-board Taj voucher, free orthopedic consultations, and zero cross-currency mark-up on international spends.
- Yes Bank – 2004 (Founded) – Mumbai (HQ) – Prashant Kumar (MD & CEO) – “Experience Our Expertise” (Tagline)
- Indian Olympic Association (IOA) – 1927 (Founded) – New Delhi (HQ) – P. T. Usha (President) – Rajeev Mehta (Secretary General) – Raghuram Iyer (CEO)
Important Days
International Day of Happiness 2024
- International Day of Happiness is annually observed on March 20.
- The day is observed to create awareness about the importance of the existence of happiness in our lives.
- The General Assembly of the United Nations in its resolution 66/281 of July 12 2012 proclaimed March 20 as the International Day of Happiness.
World Sparrow Day 2024
- World Sparrow Day is annually observed on March 20.
- The day aims to promote awareness about the conservation and protection of sparrows, whose numbers are falling globally.
- The day was first observed in
- World Sparrow Day was created by India’s Nature Forever Society and France’s Eco-Sys Action Foundation.
Defence
Exercise Tiger Triumph-24 held between India & USA
- The Bilateral Tri-Service Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Amphibious Exercise between India and US, Tiger Triumph, was held onboard INS Jalashwa.
- The Exercise represents the robust strategic partnership between both countries and aims to share best practices and Standard Operating Procedures in undertaking multinational HADR operations.
- The Harbour Phase of the exercise is being conducted at
- United States of America – Washington, D.C. (Capital) – US Dollar (Currency) – Joe Biden (President) – English (Official Language)
Daily Current Affairs - March 19 & 20, 2024 - Consolidated
- Government notifies new marketing code for pharma cos to curb unethical practices
- Nepal names Pokhara as tourism capital
- Prime Minister unveils ‘Dekho Apna Desh People’s Choice 2024’ tourism initiative in Jammu & Kashmir
- Finance Ministry notifies ₹90 coin to commemorate 90 years of RBI
- Perfios has become India’s second unicorn of 2024
- Reserve Bank of India imposes Monetary Penalty on DCB Bank & Tamilnad Mercentile Bank
- National Commission for Women Signs MoU with Railway Protection Force To Prevent & Combat Human Trafficking
- SANY India signs MoU with J&K Bank to provide financial solutions
- Indian Navy signed MoU with Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
- Election Commission launches ‘Know Your Candidate’ app for voters
- Noise launches smartwatch in partnership with Airtel Payments Bank
- Jharkhand Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan Given Additional Charge of Telangana Governor & Puducherry LG
- IFS Officer Vinay Kumar Appointed as Ambassador Of India To Russia
- Poonawalla Fincorp appointed Arvind Kapil as MD & CEO
- Appointments Committee of the Cabinet various appointments
- Kotak Bank appoints Jaideep Hansraj as President of ‘One Kotak’
- ‘World Air Quality Report 2023’
- Prabha Varma to be awarded Saraswati Samman 2023
- Ratan Tata awarded PV Narasimha Rao Memorial Award
- 3rd Edition of North East Games 2024
- Odisha Chief Minister Inaugurates India’s First Indoor Athletics Centre, State-Of-Art Indoor Aquatic Center in BBSR
- YES Bank partners with Indian Olympic Association for Paris Olympics 2024
- International Day of Happiness 2024
- World Sparrow Day 2024
- Exercise Tiger Triumph-24 held between India & USA
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