Daily Current Affairs: April 01, 2022

Daily Current Affairs (April 01, 2022) like many other sections is inevitable and this also helps to score in the Banking awareness, Static GK, and Financial Awareness sections. Remember, Banking Awareness, and Static Awareness Questions are asked from the General Awareness section. This will also help you to ride your preparations for the forthcoming exams.

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Important Days

Prevention of Blindness Week – 1 April 2022 to 7 April 2022

• Prevention of Blindness Week is observed from 01 April to 07 April every year to spread awareness about the causes of blindness and the ways to prevent them.
• The Indian Government has launched a programme to raise awareness about the blind population and to improve the employment opportunities for the blind by building numerous institutions, departments, hospitals and other facilities.

National News

Union Government extends the ECLGS Scheme for MSMEs until March 2023

• The Union Government has extended the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) till March 2023 and expanded the guaranteed cover under this scheme by ₹ 50,000 crores to ₹ 5 lakh crores.
• The ECLGS helped MSMEs get access to additional credit during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Microsoft launches the ‘Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub’ platform in India

• Tech giant Microsoft has launched a new digital and inclusive platform named ‘Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub’ in India.
• This platform supports early-stage startup founders in India with over $ 3,00,000 worth of benefits and credits.
• It will also give startups free access to the technology, tools and resources they need to build and run their business.

State News

Odisha celebrates its eighty-seventh Foundation Day on 01 April

• Odisha celebrated its eighty-seventh Foundation Day (Odisha Day or Utkala Dibasa) in memory of the formation of Odisha as a separate state out of Bihar and Orissa Province with the addition of Koraput and Ganjam from the Madras Presidency on 1 April 1936.
• Under British rule, Odisha was part of the Bengal Presidency, which consisted of the present-day Bihar, West Bengal and Odisha.

Odisha                     

• Capital: Bhubaneswar
• Chief Minister: Naveen Patnaik
• Governor: Ganeshi Lal
• Festivals: Dhanu Yatra, Budi Thakurani Yatra, Magha Saptami, Chhau, Dola Purnima
• Lakes: Kanjia Lake, Chilika Lake, Ansupa Lake, Pata Lake
• Folk Dances: Chhau, Gotipua, Ghumura, Ranappa, Chaiti Ghoda, Sambalpuri
• Dams: Hirakud Dam, Indravati Dam, Rengali Dam, Jalaput Dam, Mandira Dam, Patora Dam
• National Parks: Bhitarkanika National Park, Simlipal National Park

International News

The twentieth India–France bilateral naval exercise ‘VARUNA -2022’ kicks off in the Arabian Sea

• India and France conducted the twentieth edition of the bilateral naval exercise ‘Varuna’ in the Arabian Sea.
• This bilateral naval exercises between the two national navies were initiated in 1993. This bilateral naval exercise was named ‘Varuna’ in 2001 and has become a vital part of the strategic bilateral relationship between India and France.
• Various ships, submarines, maritime patrol aircraft, fighter aircraft and helicopters of the two national navies have participated in the ‘VARUNA-2022’

France

• Capital: Paris
• Currency: Euro
• President: Emmanuel Macron
• Prime Minister: Jean Castex

Banking and Economy

RBI sets the WMA limit for the Government of India for the first half of the financial year 2022-23 at ₹ 1,50,000 crores

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has set the Ways and Means Advances (WMA) limit for the Government of India for the first half (from April 2022 to September 2022) of the financial year 2022–23 at ₹ 1,50,000 crores.

RBI extends the timeline for banks to use lockable cassettes in ATMs by one year

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has extended the timeline for banks to use lockable cassettes, which could be swapped at the time of cash replenishment, in their ATMs by one year until 31 March 2023.
• The RBI decided to extend the timeline after it received representations from various banks and the Indian Banks’ Association expressing difficulties in meeting the timeline for using lockable cassettes.

Union Government keeps the interest rates on small savings schemes unchanged for the first quarter of 2022–23

The Union Government has decided to maintain the interest rate of small savings schemes for the first quarter (Q1) of 2022–23. For the quarter from April 2022 to June 2022, there will be no change in post office small savings interest rates.

Interest rates of small savings schemes for Q1 (April to June) of 2022–23:

Agreements and MoUs Signed

ADB partners with HSBC India to set up a $ 100 million partial guarantee programme for MFIs in India

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has partnered with HSBC India to establish a $ 100 million partial guarantee programme to support more than 4,00,000 micro-borrowers and mostly women-run microenterprises across India.
• Under this partnership, to give impetus to this partnership, aggregated financing of an equivalent of $ 30 million is being initially disbursed to three Microfinance Institutions (MFIs).

Asian Development Bank (ADB)

• Founded: 19 December 1966
• Headquarters: Mandaluyong, the Philippines
• Member Countries: 68
• President: Masatsugu Asakawa
• Chief Economist: Yasuyuki Sawada

Ranks and Indices

Maharashtra’s Chandrapur records third hottest place in the world

• As per the El Dorado Weather Report, the Chandrapur district of Maharashtra became the third hottest place in the world with a temperature of 43.4 ℃. A fire was witnessed in the area of the Irai Dam.

• Kayes city of Mali is the hottest place on earth with 44.4 ℃, Segou of Mali is the second in the list with 43.8 ℃, whereas Chandrapur is third in this list.

Maharashtra    

• Capital: Mumbai
• Chief Minister: Uddhav Thackeray
• Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari
• National Parks: Chandoli National Park, Gugamal National Park, Nawegaon National Park, Jawaharlal Nehru (Pench) National Park, Sanjay Gandhi (Borivilli) National Park, Tadoba National Park

Sports News

FIFA launches the official match ball named ‘Al Rihla’ for the 2022 Qatar FIFA World Cup

• Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has launched the official match ball named ‘Al Rihla’ for the upcoming 2022 Qatar FIFA World Cup that starts on 21 November 2022.
• This ball would travel faster in the air than any ball in the history of the FIFA World Cup. It was made by Adidas and is called Al Rihla, which means ‘the journey’ in Arabic and its design was inspired by the culture, architecture, iconic boats and flag of Qatar.
• Its designers said the ball would be the fastest and most accurate FIFA World Cup ball to date.

Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA)

• President: Gianni Infantino
• Headquarters: Zürich, Switzerland
• Motto: For the game, For the world

Meghalaya is set to host the eighty-third National Table Tennis Championship in 2022

• Meghalaya is set to host the eighty-third National Table Tennis Championship in 2022 at the SAI Indoor Training Centre in Shillong, Meghalaya.

• This is the second time that the biggest national table tennis event is being hosted in the Northeast region.

Meghalaya       

• Capital: Shillong
• Chief Minister: Conrad Sangma
• Governor: Satya Pal Malik

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