NATIONAL NEWS

Digital Health Summit 2023

• The Digital Health Summit 2023 was organized jointly by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in Goa.
• The theme of the event was ‘Building One Health together – Improving Health equity’.
• The aim of the summit was to bring together policy makers, industry leaders and global health experts and thought leaders to deliberate on the key issues faced by the digital health sector.
• The event aligns with the agenda of India's G20 health working group on digital health innovations.
• It aims to assist in universal health coverage and improve healthcare delivery for One Earth, One Family, One Future.
• Digital innovations including 3D printing, point-of-care diagnostics, robotics, bioinformatics, genomics are proving to be game changers in exponential medicine.

NHAI Signs MoU with Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve

• The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

• The objective of the MoU is to improve the entry process for vehicles entering the forest area by facilitating a seamless and efficient system.

• The initiative proposes a FASTag based payment system at forest entry points to avoid long queues and delays.

• The benefit of collection of Ecosystem Management Coordination Fee through FASTag will be extended to various entry points of the Tiger Reserve.

• The partnership between the Highways Management Company of India Limited and the Forest Department is an important step towards promoting sustainable tourism and conserving natural resources.
• This partnership will help curb vehicular emissions at forest entry points, thereby contributing to environmental protection.

125 Feet Tall Ambedkar Statue Unveiled

• Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao unveiled a 125-feet tall bronze statue of BR Ambedkar in Hyderabad.

• The statue was unveiled to mark the 132nd birth anniversary of Ambedkar, who is best known for his role in drafting the Indian Constitution.

• It is now the tallest statue of Ambedkar in India with a height of 125 feet.

• This statue is situated near the State Secretariat on the beautiful banks of Hussain Sagar Lake.

• Ambedkar's statue is a symbol of social justice and equality. It commemorates the contribution of BR Ambedkar towards building a just and equal society for all.

Cumbum Grapes Get Geographical Indication Tag

• The famous Cumbum Paneer Thratchai from Tamil Nadu, commonly known as Cumbum grapes has received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.

• The Cumbum valley in Tamil Nadu’s Western Ghats, is regarded as the ‘Grapes City of South India’.

• The Panneer grapes were first introduced in Tamil Nadu by a French priest in 1832.

• These grapes are high in vitamins, tartaric acid, and antioxidants, and they help to lower the risk of some chronic diseases.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Visa Application Center in Bangladesh

• The High Commission of India opened its 16th Visa application center in Kushtia town of Southwestern Bangladesh on 16th April.

• The new Indian Visa Application Center (IVAC) was inaugurated by High Commissioner Pranya Verma.

• This will provide greater ease and convenience to residents of Kushtia and its surrounding areas seeking visa services to visit India.

• Continuous efforts are being made to improve visa facilities for the people of Bangladesh.

• The new center will further strengthen people-to-people contact.

• It will serve as a new platform to promote tourism, trade and people-to-people exchanges between India and Bangladesh.

BANKING

DBS Bank India to Launch Proprietary Credit Card

• DBS Bank India Limited, a 100% subsidiary of Singapore headquartered DBS Bank, will by June, 2023 roll out its proprietary credit cards.

• This credit card offering will be targeted at mass affluent and above (premium segment, including HNIs).

• Currently, DBS Bank India has a co-branded credit card with Bajaj Finserv and a customer base of 2,00,000.

• DBS Bank India is also planning to foray into the affordable housing loans segment this fiscal.

• It will look to target mostly customers in the Tier II and Tier III cities for selling this product.
• Meanwhile, DBS Bank India has announced a partnership with IndiaFilings, a leading platform for startups and small businesses in India.

RBI Allows Karnataka Bank to Collect Direct and Indirect Taxes

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has authorised private sector lender Karnataka Bank to collect direct and indirect taxes on behalf of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC).

• The authorisation has been given on the recommendation from the Controller General of Accounts (CGA), Ministry of Finance (MoF).

• Customers are already enjoying seamless online payments for custom duty by selecting Karnataka Bank in the Indian Customs Electronic Gateway ‘ICEGATE’ portal of CBIC.
• The ICEGATE portal of the Central Board for Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) provides e-filing services to the trade, cargo carriers and other trading partners electronically.

City Union Bank Launches Voice Biometric Authentication

• City Union Bank Limited (CUB) has launched India’s first voice biometric authentication for logging into its mobile banking app.

• The voice biometric service was developed by Chennai-based deep tech start-up, Kaizen Secure Voiz Pvt Ltd, under the guidance of the 5G use case lab of the Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT), an RBI established institution focussed on research in banking technologies.

• Voice biometric will be one other option for the customer to log in, apart from existing modes like User ID/PIN, face ID, fingerprint authentication, etc.

• CUB also clarified that the customers can choose any one of these authentication options as per their convenience.

AWARDS & PRIZES

‘Maharashtra Bhushan’ for the year 2022

• Union Home Minister Amit Shah presented the ‘Maharashtra Bhushan’ award for the year 2022 to Dr. Appasaheb Dharmadhikari at Raigarh, Maharashtra on 16th April.

• Appasaheb Dharmadhikari is a famous social reformer.

• Dr. Appasaheb Dharmadhikari established the Nanasaheb Dharmadhikari Foundation, Revdanda to expand the scope of social work.

• In view of his work, Appasaheb was also honored with Padma Shri.

• The work of tree plantation was done by the Nanasaheb Dharmadhikari Foundation keeping in view the effect of climate change and temperature.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

MD and CEO of AU Small Finance Bank

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the re-appointment of Sanjay Agarwal as Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Jaipur-headquartered AU Small Finance Bank for 3 years.
• The central bank also approved the re-appointment of Uttam Tibrewal as Whole Time Director for 3 years’
• The re-appointment of Agarwal and Tibrewal for second term was approved by the shareholders through postal ballot on 09 March 2022 for 4 years per the bank’s annual report.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

SBI Unveils Its Coffee Table Book

• State Bank of India (SBI) launched a coffee table book titled ‘The Banker to Every Indian’ and the book celebrates 75 years of Indian independence and 200 years of SBI's history.

• The book aims to provide a detailed account of the history of SBI since India attained independence.

• The Coffee Table Book is a tribute to the spirit of India's independence and SBI's contribution to nation building.

• The book throws light upon the bank's ethics, technological advancements and transformation through significant initiatives taken by the organisation.
• This book is not only a celebration of SBI's past but also a testimony to its commitment to the future.

Vinod Rai Authored a New Book

• Vinod Rai is the author of the book titled ‘Transforming the Steel Frame: Promise and Paradox of Civil Service Reform’.

• The book was published by Rupa Publication.

• Transforming the Steel Frame: Promise and Paradox of Civil Service Reform examines the roles and responsibilities of the bureaucracy in modern times.

• It sets forth a vision of the future through an analysis and review of past attempts at reform, in the process revisiting the strengths of the systems as well as the flaws that prevent its optimal functioning.

IMPORTANT DAYS

Save The Elephant Day

• Save the Elephant Day is observed every year on 16 April.
• The day aims to promote awareness of the issues faced by elephants and inspire efforts to protect these majestic animals.
• The day provides an opportunity to highlight the importance of elephants, the challenges they face and the actions that can be taken to protect their existence.
• The theme of Save the Elephant Day 2023 is ‘Protecting Elephant Habitats for a Sustainable Tomorrow’.
• The theme highlights the importance of conserving the environment on which the survival of elephants depends and underlines the important role they play in promoting a sustainable future for elephants and their habitat.
• The event was first celebrated on 16 April 2012 and is now celebrated every year.