Important Days

World Book and Copyright Day – 23 April

• The World Book and Copyright Day (also known as ‘International Day of the Book’ and ‘World Book Day’), is observed annually on April 23 since 1995. The day was organised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to promote reading, publishing, and copyright.
• As per UNESCO, the city of Tbilisi in Georgia was selected as the World Book Capital for 2021.

International Girls in ICT Day – 22 April

• The International Girls in ICT Day is observed annually on the fourth Thursday of April. In 2021, the day falls on 22^nd April. The United Nations International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is highlighting the need to promote technology career opportunities for girls and women in the world’s fastest-growing sector.
• 2021 Theme: “Connected Girls, Creating Brighter Futures”

National News

Prime Minister Narendra Modi participates in the climate summit

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined with other global leaders to participate in the Leaders’ Summit on Climate, a virtual event that will reflect the concerns of US President Joe Biden regarding climate change.
• Biden had invited 40 world leaders for the two-day virtual Summit to galvanise efforts by the major economies to tackle the climate crisis. The climate summit was held under the theme “Our Collective Sprint to 2030”.

International News

World Bank provides $250 millon for Bangladesh to recover COVID-19 Pandemic

• The government of Bangladesh signed an agreement for $250 million financing from the World Bank to help create more and better jobs, recover faster from the COVID-19 pandemic and build resilience to future crises.
• This was the third and the last in the series of credits totaling $750 million under the Programmatic Jobs Development policy focussing on the creation of inclusive and quality jobs while supporting the government in responding to the COVID-19 crisis.

Bangladesh

• Capital: Dhaka
• Currency: Taka
• Prime minister: Sheikh Hasina
• President: Abdul Hamid

World Bank

• Headquarters: Washington DC, United States
• President: David Malpass
• Founded: 1944

Banking and Economy

Indian Bank signed an agreement with Chennai Angels for  start-up financing

• Indian Bank had signed an agreement with The Chennai Angles for financing start-ups under its loan program, ‘IND SpringBoard.
• The bank looks to extend credit up to Rs. 50 crores for working capital requirements.
• Indian Bank has taken the initiative to address this by launching IND SpringBoard.

Indian Bank

• Headquarter: Chennai, Tamil Nadu
• MD and CEO: Padmaja Chunduru
• Tagline: “Your Own Bank”
• Allahabad Bank amalgamated with Indian Bank on April 1, 2020.

HSBC Bank India partners with Google Pay for tokenisation on its credit card portfolio

• HSBC Bank India collaborated with Google Pay (GPay) and VISA to enable secured tokenisation on its credit cards.
• The move is in line with the bank’s ongoing endeavor towards enhanced security and convenience for its cardholders.
• This new feature will enable HSBC Credit Card customers to link their card to GPay and use it as a payment option to securely and digitally transact using their mobile phones online and at merchant stores.

HSBC (Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited)

• Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
• CEO: Noel Quinn

Indian Overseas Bank appoints Ernst & Young as its digital consultant

• Chennai-headquartered Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) had roped in Ernst & Young as its digital consultant to transform its banking services, intending to boost digital transaction share.
• This initiative would help the bank accelerate digitalisation in all the areas of banking, including its assets and liability products, and services.

Indian Overseas Bank (IOB)

• Headquarters: Chennai
• CEO: Partha Pratim Sengupta

Reserve Bank of India to cancel the licence of Sambandh Finserve

• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had issued a show-cause notice before cancelling the licence of fraud-hit Sambandh Finserve Private Limited. After its net worth eroded below the regulatory minimum and financial situation worsened beyond redemption over the recent months.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI)

• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Formation: 1 April 1935
• Governor: Shaktikanta Das
• Deputy Governors: MK Jain, MD Patra, M Rajeshwar Rao.
• Subsidiaries: Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC), Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran (BRBNM)

Tata Steel and HSBC execute the first blockchain-enabled, paperless trade transaction globally

• Tata Steel along with HSBC had executed a blockchain-enabled trade transaction. This is a global first for the steel industry.
• Tata Steel and HSBC successfully executed a blockchain-enabled transaction, a global first for the steel industry. This transaction was executed on Contour’s blockchain platform.
• Blockchain technology in trade finance enables comprehensive visibility for all involved parties and enhances security in payment. It helps to reduce the document negotiation and banking transaction cycle from weeks to a few days.

S&P projects India’s GDP Forecast to 11% for FY22

• American credit rating agency, S&P Global Ratings projected the Indian economy to grow at 11 per cent in the current fiscal year (FY22). S&P has a ‘BBB-‘ rating on India with a stable outlook has forecast an 11 per cent growth in the Indian GDP for the fiscal year.

Appointments and Resignations

National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) appoints Accenture’s Rekha Menon as Chairperson

• The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) had appointed Rekha M Menon as Chairperson for 2021-22, making her the first woman to this position in the association’s 30-year history. She replaces UB Pravin Rao.
• NASSCOM also named Krishnan Ramanujam as Vice-Chairperson for 2021-22.

National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM):

• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Chairman: Rekha M Menon
• Founded: 1 March 1988

Jammu & Kashmir Bank director Rigzian Sampheal resigns

• State-owned Jammu & Kashmir Bank’s non-executive non-independent director Rigzian Sampheal had resigned from its board.

PNB Housing Finance re-appoints Nilesh Vikamsey as the Additional Director for 5 years term

• Nilesh S Vikamsey has been on the Company’s Board for nearly 5 years as an Independent Director. He is currently the Chairman of Audit Committee and Member of Nomination and Remuneration Committee of the Board.

Awards and Recognitions

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham is the only Indian University in the top 100 in the Impact Ranking 2021

• Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham has become the only Indian University to have scored a set in the top 100 global institutes in the Impact Ranking 2021 released by THE World University Ranking.
• Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham has got the 81^st spot globally. Further, there are two universities JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research (101), and Lovely Professional University (200).
• The top spot was attained by the University of Manchester, UK followed by the University of Sydney, Australia and RMIT University, Australia. Russia is the most-represented nation in the table with 75 institutions, followed by Japan with 73.

Obituary

Padma awardee and Islamic scholar Maulana Wahiduddin Khan passed away at 96

• Islamic scholar Maulana Wahiduddin Khan passed away at the age of 96. In January 2021, the government had announced that he would be awarded the Padma Vibhushan, the country’s second-highest civilian award. In 2000, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award.

Renowned qawwali singer Farid Sabri of ‘Sabri Brothers’ fame passes away at 58

• Renowned Qawwali singer Farid Sabri of the Sabri Brothers duo passed away in Jaipur. Sabri Brothers are known for the evergreen numbers ‘Der Na Ho Jaye Kahin Der Na Ho Jaye’ and ‘Ek Mulakat Zaruri Hai Sanam’.

Sports News

Indian women boxers create history with seven gold medals in AIBA World Youth Boxing championships

• Indian women boxers put up sensational performances as they created history with seven gold medals in Kielce, Poland.
• All the women finalists in action–Gitika (48 kg), Naorem Babyrojisana Chanu (51 kg), Poonam (57kg), Vinka (60kg), Arundhati Choudhary (69kg), T Sanamacha Chanu (75kg) and Alfiya Pathan (+81kg)— registered victories and finished on the top of the podium.

Virat Kohli becomes the first player to reach 6000 IPL runs

• Virat Kohli became the first player in history to score 6000 runs in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Virat Kohli (6021) is leading the IPL highest run-getter chart, followed by Suresh Raina (5,448), Shikhar Dhawan (5,428), David Warner (5,384) and Rohit Sharma (5,368).

Daily CA April 23 One-liner: