NATIONAL NEWS

Joint Venture for Green Hydrogen Sector

• Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (Indian Oil), the country’s top refiner and fuel retailer, Larsen & Toubro (L&T), India’s premier engineering, construction and IT/TS services conglomerate, and ReNew Power (ReNew), India’s leading renewable energy company, announced the formation of a Joint Venture (JV) company to develop the green hydrogen sector in India.

• It aims to bring together the strong work of L&T in designing, executing and delivering EPC projects, Indian Oil's established expertise in petroleum refining and ReNew in offering and developing utility-scale renewable energy solutions.

• Additionally, IndianOil and L&T have signed a binding term sheet to form a JV with equity participation to manufacture and sell Electrolyzers used in the production of Green Hydrogen.

IIT Madras with RNTBCI

• Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-Madras) signed an agreement with Renault Nissan Technology and Business Centre India Pvt Ltd (RNTBCI) to reduce road accidents fatalities in Chennai.

• It organizes a one-year-long and this initiative is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG).

• The Connected Intelligent Urban Transportation lab at IIT Madras will develop innovative, technology and data-driven solutions to improve road safety.

Indian Coast Guard Gets Interceptor Boat – ‘C-436’

• The Indian Coast Guard has introduced interceptor boat ‘C-436’ at Karaikal.

• It was manufactured by Larsen and Toubro (L&T) Shipyard Ltd. L&T Shipyard Ltd has entered into an agreement with the Ministry of Defence to make the interceptor boats.

• C-436 boat would be utilised for coastal patrol exercise, search and rescue, anti-terrorist, anti-smuggling operations and fisheries protection.
• Equipped with state-of-the-art sensors including navigational and communication system, the boats were capable of operating in tropical conditions and can travel at a speed of 40 knots.
• It has been rebased from Andhra Pradesh station to its fleet to improve surveillance along the coastline of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

‘SHE auto stands' with Women Drivers

• In a first to its kind initiative in the state, Andhra Pradesh’s Tirupati police have set up a special auto-stand ‘SHE Auto stands’ to provide safer public transport for women commuters.

• These auto stands will be managed and autos will be driven by female drivers only.

• The three auto stands have been set up in RTC Bus Stand, Mahila University and Ruia Hospital.
• Tirupati is the first city in the state to set up special auto stands for women.

BANKING

HDFC Limited with HDFC Bank

• HDFC Limited announced its merger with HDFC Bank to make the company the third most valuable in the country with a market capitalisation of Rs 14 lakh crore.

• HDFC will acquire a 41 percent stake in HDFC Bank through the transformational merger.

• HDFC Limited Chairman Deepak Parekh has described it as a merger of equals as it will enhance diversity of assets of the combined entity.
• This merger will also help expand the customer base and build a product portfolio in the housing loan category.

SBI with Border Security Force

• State Bank of India (SBI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Border Security Force (BSF).

• It aims to offer special benefits to the serving and retired BSF personnel and family pensioners through the Central Armed Police Salary Package (CAPSP) Scheme.

• The MoU will support child education and the marriage of girl children of deceased BSF personnel.
• The retired personnel will be eligible for complimentary Personal Accidental (Death) Insurance, irrespective of age.

Aegon Life ties up with Ahalia Finforex

• Aegon Life, a leading digital life insurance company has partnered with Ahalia Finforex, a Kerala-based diversified financial services firm to provide life insurance access to the unorganised and unserved segments residing in tier-2, tier-3, and tier-4 towns.

• The move is a significant step towards its vision to make every household financially secure.

• Under the partnership, Aegon Life and Ahalia Finforex provides insurance coverage to over five lakh Ahalia customers through the insurer’s Group Credit Life product.
• Group Credit Life Insurance cover is attached to a lending product like a loan.

SPORTS

Ann Mariya Wins Gold

• Ann Mariya M.T. from Kerala won the gold medal in National weightlifting championships at the KIIT University campus in Bhubaneswar.

• She won gold in the category of women’s 87 kilogram with a national record aggregate of 231 kg.

ICC Women’s World Cup

• Australia defeated England in the 12^th edition of ICC Women’s World Cup 2022 which was conducted at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, New Zealand.

• Australia won the match for the Seventh consecutive term.

• Australia defeated England by 71 runs.
• Alyssa Healy (Australia) became the first batter in the history to hit hundred in both the Semi-final and final of the World Cup and she scored 170 runs in the final match, the highest individual score.
• Sophie Ecclestone (England) was the leading wicket-taker in tournament with 21 wickets.

Miami Open Tennis Tournament 2022

• The 37^th edition of Miami Open 2022 is the second of the nine Masters 1000 events.

• The tournament is scheduled to take place in Miami from 23 March to 3 April, 2022 at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida.

• It is a part of the men’s ATP Tour Masters 1000 circuit and part of the women’s WTA 1000 circuit.

• Carlos Alcaraz (Spain) defeated Casper Ruud (Norway) in the Men’s singles Category.
• Iga Swiatek (Poland) defeated Naomi Osaka (Japan) in the Women’s Singles Category.

AWARDS & PRIZES

Chameli Devi Jain Award 2021

• Mumbai-based journalist Aarefa Johari emerged as the winner of the Chameli Devi Jain Award for an Outstanding Woman Media person 2021.
• Chameli Devi Jain Award is a prestigious recognition for women media persons in India who have reported on themes such as social development, politics, equity, gender justice, health, war and conflict, and consumer values.
• The award was announced by the Media Foundation.
• Johari works for ‘Scroll.in’ in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• The award was named after Chameli Devi Jain who was a freedom fighter and a community reformer. She became the first Jain woman to go to prison during independence.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Prime Minister of Hungary

• Viktor Orbán was elected as the Prime Minister of Hungary and the president of the national conservative ruling party Fidesz.
• He was born on 31 May 1963. He won a fourth consecutive term as Prime Minister.
• Since 2010, Orbán has been the Prime Minister of Hungary with a two-thirds majority of the seats in the Parliament of Hungary.
• He was a vice chairman in the Liberal International from 1992 to 2000 and a Vice President in the European People's Party from 2002 to 2012.

Chief of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation

• Vikas Kumar, a 1988-batch officer of the Indian Railway Traffic Service, appointed as the new managing director of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).
• He will hold the post for a term of five years and Kumar is the third managing director of the DMRC.
• He succeeded Mangu Singh, who was the managing director of DMRC since January 1, 2012.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action

• International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action is celebrated every year on 04 April.
• It aims to raise awareness about landmines, ask for assistance in mine action works and slowly progress towards its eradication.
• The mine action community plays a significant role and is led by the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS).
• The day was celebrated by the UN General Assembly on 08 December 2005.
• The theme for the day 2022 is ‘Safe Ground, Safe Steps, Safe Home’.