DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS 20-04-2023

Shankar School of Banking April 20 , 2023 226

NATIONAL NEWS

Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar launched the SATHI (Seed Traceability, Authentication and Holistic Inventory) Portal and Mobile App.
It is to deal with the challenges of seed production, quality seed identification, and seed certification.
It has been created by NIC in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare on the theme of 'Best Seeds - Prosperous Farmer'.
The Government of India is constantly trying to overcome the challenges and difficulties faced by agriculture through various schemes and programmes.
There will be a QR code under this system, through which the seeds can be traced.
All the states will be connected with the Seed Traceability System.

The government approved the National Quantum Mission to nurture and scale up scientific and industrial research and development in quantum technology.
The mission will cost Rs 6,003.65 crore from 2023-24 to 2030-31.
The Mission will accelerate quantum technology-led economic growth and nurture the ecosystem in the country.
The Mission will be implemented by the Department of Science and Technology in partnership with other departments.
India will be the sixth country to have a dedicated quantum mission after the US, Austria, Finland, France and China.
The mission will help develop high-sensitivity magnetometers in nuclear systems and atomic clocks for precise timing, communication and navigation.

HDFC Ltd stated that the market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has cleared a proposal for change in control of HDFC Capital Advisors Limited (HCAL), a subsidiary of HDFC Limited and a co-investment portfolio manager subject to certain conditions.
As per the proposed composite scheme of amalgamation, HDFC Investments Limited and HDFC Holdings Limited, wholly-owned subsidiaries of Housing Development Finance Corporation Limited (HDFC Limited) would be first merged into HDFC Limited and subsequently into HDFC Bank.
Already, HDFC has received the required approvals from the SEBI, shareholders of HDFC and HDFC Bank, the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) and the Competition Commission of India (CCI).
The proposed entity will have a combined asset base of around Rs 18 lakh crore.
Once the deal is effective, HDFC Bank will be 100% owned by public shareholders, and existing shareholders of HDFC will own 41% of the bank.
Every HDFC shareholder will get 42 shares of HDFC Bank for every 25 shares owned.

Wisden Cricketers Almanack has released the list of top-5 cricketers of the year 2022.
It also includes India's women's team captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Suryakumar Yadav of the men's team.
Apart from Kaur, the list also includes the names of Tom Blundell (New Zealand), Ben Foakes (England), Daryl Mitchell (New Zealand) and Matthew Potts (England).
Suryakumar Yadav has been selected as the T20 Cricketer of the Year.
Harmanpreet Kaur created history by becoming the first Indian woman to be named in Wisden Cricketers of the Year.

India has overtaken China as the world's most populous country, according to United Nations data.
According to UN data India's population is 142.86 crore while China's population is 142.57 crores.
According to a new report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), 25 per cent of India's population is between the age group of 0-14 years.
The population between the age group of 10-19 years is 18 percent
The population in the age group of 10-24 years is 26 percent.
The population in the age group of 15-64 years is 68 percent and the population above 65 years is 7 percent.
According to experts, the demographics of India differ from state to state.
Kerala and Punjab have a large elderly population, while Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have a large youth population.

FedEx CEO Raj Subramaniam received the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award, India's highest civilian honour for persons of Indian origin and the diaspora.
Due to travel restrictions, Subramaniam was presented the award by India's ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, at a ceremony held at India House.
Subramaniam is a prominent Indian-American business leader.
It is an award given by the Government of India to persons of Indian origin and diaspora who have made significant contributions in their respective fields.
The award was instituted on 9 January 2003 coinciding with the celebrations of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, also known as Pravasi Bharatiya Divas.
Recipients of this award are selected on the basis of their achievements in various fields including science, business, arts and philanthropy.

China successfully launched the Fengyun-3 meteorological satellite using Chang Zheng-4B carrier rocket from Jiuquan Cosmodrome in Gansu Province.
The primary objective of the Fengyun-3 satellite is to monitor and provide information on severe weather conditions, especially heavy rainfall, which can cause natural disasters such as floods and landslides.
This was the 471st mission for the Chang Zheng rocket family.
CASC is a state-owned organisation that serves as the primary contractor for China's space program.
CASC has several subsidiaries that specialise in the design, development and manufacture of a variety of space-related technology, including spacecraft, launch vehicles, missile systems and ground equipment.

Kenya launched its first operational Earth observation satellite ‘Taifa-1’ on a rocket of Elon Musk's rocket company ‘SpaceX’ from Vandenberg Base in California.
The launch rocket carried 50 payloads from various countries, including Turkey, under SpaceX's 'rideshare programme'.
Taifa-1 was designed and developed by SayariLabs and EnduroSat and the satellite was built over two years at a cost of 50 million Kenyan shillings ($372,000).
The satellite's primary purpose is to collect agricultural and environmental data, including floods, droughts and wildfires, to help Kenya deal with disaster management and food insecurity.

World Liver Day is observed every year on 19 April.
It is celebrated to raise awareness about liver health and related diseases.
World Liver Day aims to educate people about the importance of early detection, prevention and treatment of liver diseases.
The theme of World Liver Day 2023 is ‘Be alert, do regular liver check-ups, fatty liver can affect anyone’.
The day is celebrated in partnership with various local and international organisations that focus on promoting liver health.

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