NATIONAL NEWS

Kangra Tea Gets European GI Tag

• The European Commission (EC) has recently granted Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status to Kangra tea, a unique variety of tea grown in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh in India.

• PGI status will be effective from 11 April 2023 and will help protect the authenticity and quality of Kangra tea in the European market.

• It was first introduced in the mid-19th century by Dr. Jameson, a British civil surgeon who sowed tea seeds in the Kangra Valley.

• In 1882, the Kangra tea garden won a gold medal at the Calcutta Exhibition, further enhancing its prestige.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

31st Member of NATO

• Finland has become the 31st member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Turkey's unanimous vote played a key role in Finland's acceptance as a NATO member.

• North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), is a military alliance between North American and European countries formed in 1949 and headquartered in Brussels, Belgium.

• Finland shares a border of more than 1,300 kilometres with Russia, and their decision to join NATO was based on security concerns following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

• With the accession of Finland, NATO now includes countries in most of Europe and North America.

BANKING

Aditya Birla Health Insurance Partners with UCO Bank

• Aditya Birla Health Insurance Company Limited (ABHICL) has entered into a partnership with UCO Bank to distribute health insurance products through the bank's branches across India.

• Through the partnership, UCO Bank's customers and employees will have access to ABHICL's health-first insurance solutions, including incentive wellness benefits and chronic management programs.

• UCO Bank's network of 3164 branches and over 40 million customers will allow ABHICL to expand its national footprint.

Axis Bank Partners with Shriram Housing Finance

• Axis Bank and Shriram Housing Finance Limited (SHFL) entered into a strategic partnership through the Yubi Co.Lend platform under the co-lending model.

• The partnership aims to address the needs of unorganized sector customers, including self-employed or salaried borrowers, who have limited access to credit due to lack of sufficient income proof.

• The partnership will provide secured MSME loans and home loans to middle and low-income group borrowers in rural and semi-urban areas.
• The collaboration between Axis Bank and SHFL will address the credit gap faced by MSME and home loan borrowers by using their wide customer reach and rigorous credit underwriting and appraisal tools.
• This partnership is in line with Axis Bank's India Banking mission of financial inclusion in rural and semi-urban areas in a seamless digital manner.

IPPB Launches Whatsapp Banking Services

• India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) has announced the launch of WhatsApp Banking service in collaboration with Airtel, a leading private sector telecom company.

• According to the Ministry of Communications, with this new service of India Post Payments Bank, customers can now easily access various banking services from their WhatsApp account through their mobile phones.

• Under this new arrangement, it will be delivered to customers through WhatsApp messaging solution Airtel IQ.

• Airtel will enable IPPB customers to seamlessly connect with the bank on WhatsApp.
• WhatsApp messaging will enhance the convenience of connecting with the bank directly at the customers' fingertips.
• IPPB is a public sector bank which was launched in 2018 with the objective of providing banking services to the unbanked population of India.

IMF Approves 15.6 billion Dollar Support Package for Ukraine

• The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved a $15.6 billion support package to aid the economic recovery of conflict-torn country Ukraine.

• The Russian invasion has devastated Ukraine's economy, causing economic activity to shrink by about 30 percent last year, according to the IMF.

• War has destroyed capital stock and promoted poverty.

• The 48-month Extended Fund Facility program approved by the Fund's Board amounts to approximately $15.6 billion.

• It is part of the IMF's $115 billion total support package, which includes debt relief, grants, and loans by multilateral and bilateral institutions.

SPORTS

Unity Cup Tennis Ball Cricket Tournament 2023

• Unity Cup Cricket Tournament 2023 organized jointly by HUDCO and NBCC at Siri Fort Sports Complex, New Delhi.

• It aims to encourage team building and promote the Fit India Movement of the Government of India.

• It was inaugurated by Manoj Joshi, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).

• The tournament was organized between the mega teams of MoHUA, CPWD, NBCC and HUDCO.

• The series of exciting matches began with the opening match played between MoHUA and CPWD.

• MoHUA won the final by 20 runs from NBCC in the finals.
• Manoj Joshi lifted the winning Trophy on behalf of MoHUA Team.
• The sporty event was followed by presenting 'Man of the Match' to Maninder from MoHUA.

AWARDS & PRIZES

Olympic Gold Medal

• More than a decade after the 2012 London Games, Lashinda Demus, a sprinter from the United States, was awarded an Olympic gold medal at the age of 40.

• Czechia's Zuzana Hejnova and Jamaica's Kalisz Spencer was awarded a silver and a bronze Medal respectively.

• London Olympics 2012 was held in London, UK from 27 July to 12 August 2012.

• The International Olympic Committee stripped Natalya Antyukh, the original gold medalist in the 400 metres hurdles, of her title due to her involvement in the Russian doping scandal.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

ISRO Releases Images of Earth

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has recently released images of Earth captured by the EOS-06 satellite.
• The images are a mosaic generated by ISRO's National Remote Sensing Center (NRSC).
• The images have been captured by the Ocean Color Monitor (OCM) payload on board EOS-06 by NRSC.
• Earth Observation satellite (EOS-6) is the third-generation satellite in the Oceansat series.
• It provides continued services of Oceansat-2 with enhanced payload capability.
• It was launched by ISRO onboard the PSLV-C54 along with eight Nano-satellites on 26 November 2022.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Book Titled ‘War and Women’

• A new book titled ‘War and Women’ was written by Dr. M A Hasan was launched during the 52nd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, Switzerland.

• The event was organised by the Bangladesh Freedom Fighters Parliament in Europe.

• The book was released at the Serpentine Cafeteria inside the United Nations Building.

• The book throws light on the suffering of Bengali women who were victims of sexual violence during the 1971 war.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Autism Awareness Day

• World Autism Awareness Day is observed every year on 02 April. It is to raise awareness about autism disorder.

• The purpose of this day is to make people aware of autism and to support those who are struggling with this disorder.

• According to the United Nations General Assembly, the day aims to "highlight the need to help improve the quality of life of autistic people so that they can live full and meaningful lives as an integral part of society."

• World Autism Awareness Day 2023 theme is ‘Transforming the narrative: Contributions at home, at work, in the arts and in policymaking’.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Foundation Day

• The Foundation Day of the Reserve Bank of India is celebrated on 01 April every year.

• RBI was established on 01 April 1935 as per the provisions of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.

• It started functioning from 1 April 1935.

• The central office of the Reserve Bank was established in Kolkata which was permanently shifted to Mumbai in the year 1937.

• It has the power to regulate Banks under the Banking Regulation Act 1949.
• It has the power to regulate the Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) under the RBI act 1934.
• RBI is also the regulator of the digital payment system under the Payment and settlement act 2007.

OBITUTARY

Former cricketer Salim Durani

• Former India all-rounder cricketer Salim Durani passed away on 2 April after a prolonged illness. He was at the age of 88.

• He was known as a brilliant all-rounder.

• He made a significant contribution in the series against England in 1961-62. In the last two Tests, Salim led India to victory.

• He took 8 wickets in Kolkata and 10 wickets in Chennai Test. India won the 5 match test series 2-0.

• He was the first cricketer to be honored with the Arjuna Award. He was given this honor in 1961.

• Durani played 29 Tests for India and scored 1202 and took 75 wickets.
• In first-class cricket, Durani has 8545 runs and 484 wickets in 170 matches.