Daily Current Affairs: August 18, 2021

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National News

Union Health and Family Welfare Minister announces Rs. 1300 crores for the development of health infrastructure of Northeastern states

• Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced a package of Rs. 1300 crores for the infrastructure development in the health sector of Northeastern states.

Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology launches ‘Amrit Mahotsav Shri Shakti Challenge 2021’

• Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw launched the ‘Amrit Mahotsav Shri Shakti Challenge-2021’ to encourage technology solutions developed by women entrepreneurs that facilitate women’s safety and empowerment.

State News

Chhattisgarh Government launches  a new scheme to support rural landless labourers

• Chhattisgarh Government launched the ‘Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Bhumihin Majdur Nyay Yojana’ with a provision of Rs. 200 crores benefiting 12 lakh landless families.
• The aim of this scheme is to support rural landless labourers with minimum wages so that they can access basic amenities. The beneficiaries of this scheme are expected to receive their benefits before the end of this financial year on 31 March 2022
• The families of the beneficiaries will get an amount of Rs. 6000 annually.

Chhattisgarh    

• Capital: Raipur
• Chief Minister: Bhupesh Baghel
• Governor: Sushri Anusuiya Uikey

Jammu and Kashmir Government unveils Karkhandar Scheme to uplift traditional handicrafts

• The Jammu and Kashmir Government issued orders for giving a fresh impetus to the training in the handicraft sector in the Union Territory by unveiling the ‘KARKHANDAR’ Scheme for the upliftment of artisans and weavers through training.

Jammu and Kashmir

• Capital: Srinagar (Summer), Jammu (Winter)
• Lt. Governor: Manoj Sinha
• National Parks: Hemis National Park, City Forest (Salim Ali) National Park, Dachigam National Park, Kishtwar National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Changthang Cold Desert Wildlife Sanctuary, Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary, Jasrota Wildlife Sanctuary, Baltal-Thajwas Wildlife Sanctuary, Karakoram (Nubra Shyok) Wildlife Sanctuary
• Lakes: Mansar Lake, Nagin Lake, Wular Lake, Surinsar Lake, Dal Lake

Banking and Economy

RBI partially lifts ban on HDFC Bank and allows it to sell new credit cards

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) partially lifted its technology ban on HDFC Bank. Reserve Bank of India has allowed HDFC Bank to source new credit cards.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI)

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

SBI Life Insurance launches new age protection plan ‘SBI Life eShield Next’

• SBI Life Insurance announced the launch of a unique new age protection solution named ‘SBI Life eShield Next’ which levels up the protection coverage as the insured achieves life’s prominent milestones.

Reserve Bank of India introduces the Financial Inclusion Index

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) introduced the Financial Inclusion Index (FI- Index)  to measure the level of financial inclusion.
• The FI-Index is made up of three main parameters: access (35% weightage), usage (45% weightage) and quality (20% weightage), each of which has several aspects that are calculated using a variety of indicators.

RBI to introduce a ‘PRISM’, a web-based automation system to strengthen compliance by lenders

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is putting in a Platform for Regulated Entities for Built-in Supervision and Monitoring (PRISM), a web-based end-to-end workflow automation system to strengthen compliance by supervised entities (SEs).

HDFC Limited launches the Green and Sustainable Fixed Deposits

• Housing Development Finance Corporation Limited (HDFC Ltd) launched he ‘Green & Sustainable Deposits’ to safeguard the environment from climate change.
• These fixed deposits will be directed towards financing green and sustainable housing credit solutions and services.

HDFC Bank (Housing Development Finance Corporation)

• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Chairman: Deepak Parekh
• MD & CEO: Sashidhar Jagdishan
• Tagline: “We understand your world”
• Established: 1994

SEBI cuts the minimum lock-in period for promoters investment post IPO to 18 months from three years

• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) reduced the minimum lock-in period for promoters’ investment post an initial public offering (IPO) to 18 months from three years.

Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)

• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Chairman: Ajay Tyagi
• Founded: 12 April 1992

Agreements and MoUs Signed

India and the United Nations sign an MoU for technology partnership in the peacekeeping mission

• India and the United Nations (UN) are all set to sign an MoU in support of the peacekeeping mission as a part of the visit by the  Union External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
• India, in collaboration with the UN, will also roll out the UNITE AWARE Platform, a situational awareness software programme allowing Peacekeeping Operations Centre to visualise and analyse the ground situation in a conflict zone.

RBL Bank ties up with Pay Nearby and VISA for payment devices

• PayNearby partnered with VISA and RBL Bank to launch SoftPoS and mPoS for its over 1.5 million retail networks.
• The aim of this agreement is to democratise digital payments and reduce cash transactions at the last mile by offering an all-inclusive payment acceptance infrastructure at retail touchpoints.

Appointments

Mirabai Chanu was appointed as the brand ambassador of Amway India for the Nutrilite range

• Amway India appointed Indian Olympian Saikhom Mirabai Chanu as their brand ambassador for its Nutrilite range of products.

Samsung India ropes Alia Bhatt as its brand Ambassador

• Samsung India roped in actor Alia Bhatt as the brand ambassador for its premium Galaxy Z Series foldable smartphones.

Ranks and Indices

Ghaziabad is the world’s second most polluted city of 2020

• Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad was adjudged the second most polluted city out of the 50 ‘most polluted cities’ in the world in 2020 by a report prepared by British company House Fresh.
• The Chinese city of Hotan in Xinjiang province was named the most polluted city of 2020.

Defence News

INS Kochi participates in a maritime partnership exercise in Bahrain

• INS Kochi is in Manama to participate in a four-day maritime partnership exercise in Bahrain.The coordination & operational planning conference was also held between Indian & Bahrain Navy teams.

INS Kochi

• INS Kochi (D64) is the second ship of the Kolkata-class stealth guided-missile destroyers built under the code name Project 15A for the Indian Navy.
• The ship was constructed by Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) in Mumbai.
• After the extensive sea trials, the ship was commissioned to Indian Navy service on 30 September 2015.

Bahrain

• Capital: Manama
• Currency: Dinar

Indian Navy and UK Navy conduct joint naval exercise ‘Konkan

• ‘Konkan 2021’ was a joint naval exercise held between the Indian Navy and the Royal Navy of Britain in Portsmouth, United Kingdom. Indian Naval Ship Tabar reached Portsmouth in England for the excercise.

• The main purpose of this Konkan naval exercise is to boost the interoperability, synergy and cooperation between both navies.

Sports News

India’s Raunak Sadhwani wins the 19^th Spilimbergo Open chess Tournament 2021

• Indian Grandmaster Raunak Sadhwani emerged as the winner in the 19^th Spilimbergo Open Chess Tournament with seven points from nine rounds.
• Indian Grandmaster R Vaishali finished 14^th with six points and was the best among the women competitors.

Books and Authors

Maharashtra Chief Minister releases the 10^th edition of Shri Gadgebaba

• Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray released the tenth edition of ‘Shri Gadgebaba’, a biography written by his grandfather Prabodhankar Thackeray.

Daily CA 18 one-liner:

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