NATIONAL NEWS

Chatbot ‘Maya’

• Kerala Tourism launched 24x7 WhatsApp chatbot 'Maya' to enable tourists get information and updates on tourism eco system in the State.

• It was launched by the Tourism Minister of Kerala, P A Mohamed Riyas.

• The Chatbot Maya will work as a virtual travel assistant for tourist and provide complete information for hassle-free travel experience.
• To access Chatbot, one can send a 'Hi' to the WhatsApp no: 7510512345 or by scanning the QR code to get the service.

Dynamic Map for Villages

• Bihar has become the first state in the country to introduce the concept of a dynamic map for villages which will get updated every time land ownership changes hands.

• The move is aimed to reduce legal disputes.

• According to the Bihar government, the state has seen almost 37,000 cases of some land dispute or the other.
• The move towards dynamic maps is part of a series of steps taken by the state government to implement long-pending land reforms.

IIT Madras - AquaMAP Water Management

• To solve India's water concerns, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras is constructing a new interdisciplinary water management and policy center known as 'AquaMAP.'

• Aqua Map is administered by a board of directors led by the director of IIT Madras and an advisory board comprising water technology, management, and policy specialists.

• Mr. Krishnan Narayanan, President, Itihaasa Research and Digital, and Parasuram Balasubramanian, CEO, Theme Work Analytics, are both IIT Madras graduates who have contributed a seed grant Rs 3 crore for two years and assisted in the drafting of the five-year plan.
• AquaMAP will collaborate with IIT Madras' other water research institutes, such as Sutram, the International Centre for Clean Water (ICCW), the PCoE on Water and Sustainability, and other partners.

Prime Minister to Inaugurate Biplobi Bharat Gallery

• PM Narendra Modi Inaugurated Biplobi Bharat Gallery at Victoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata.

• The gallery displays the contribution of the revolutionaries in the freedom struggle and their armed resistance to British colonial rule.

• It is to provide a historic view of the events that held till 1947 and to highlight the important role played by the revolutionaries.

BANKING

Airtel Payment Bank with ICICI Lombard

• Airtel Payments Bank has tied up with ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company to grant Smartphone Insurance in India.
• This facility is available on the Airtel Thanks app.
• This solution provides financial protection against damage to the phone and its screen resulting from accidents or liquid spills.
• Under the agreement the mobile insurance amount equal to the purchase price of the smartphones will be provided.
• The smartphone price under the range of Rs. 10, 000 to Rs. 1, 00, 000 will be considered.

About Airtel Payments Bank:

• HQ: New Delhi, Delhi.

• MD & CEO: Anubrata Biswas.

EbixCash Partners with Axis Securities

• EbixCash Limited announced a strategic agreement with Axis Securities, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Axis Bank, to provide end-to-end trading services to customers of EbixCash.

• EbixCash is a technology enabled provider of digital products and services in the Business-2-Customer (B2C), Business-2-Business (B2B) and financial technology arena, through an integrated business model.

• The association offers a 3-in-1 account to the customers of EbixCash, which allows them to integrate savings, Demat and trading accounts.
• With this partnership, EbixCash customers now have access to the seamless online platform of Axis Securities, empowering them to buy and sell stocks and other investment products.
• The customers can go for various investment instruments, including mutual funds, SIPs, investment advisory, portfolio management services, along with the option of opening a trading or demat account.

About EbixCash:

• HQ: Mumbai, Maharashtra.

• Chairman: Robin Raina.

AU Small Finance Bank and Tata Motors

• Tata Motors has signed an agreement with AU Small Finance Bank to offer finance options to customers on the company’s range of passenger cars.

• The institution is offering a repayment tenure of up to seven years.

• AU Small Finance Bank will offer exclusive solutions in rural, urban, and metro regions.
• The scheme will offer maximum financing on the vehicle as per each individual’s requirements. Customers can also enjoy the benefit of EMI options with a repayment tenure.
• Customers can also apply for a car loan using AU 0101 App to avail pre-approved offers.

About AU Small Finance Bank:

• HQ: Jaipur, Rajasthan.

• MD & CEO: Sanjay Agarwal.

AWARDS & PRIZES

Abel Prize 2022

• Abel Prize is organized by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, Government of Norway.

• The award for the year 2022 is given to American Mathematician Dennis Parnell Sullivan for his groundbreaking contributions to topology in its broadest sense and in particular algebraic, geometric and dynamical aspects.
• He is also a fellow of the American Mathematical Society.
• He is also a recipient of the 2010 Wolf Prize for Mathematics and the 2014 Balzan Prize for Mathematics.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Rajnish Kumar Joins Dun & Bradstreet’s Advisory Board

• Former State Bank of India (SBI) chairman Rajnish Kumar has joined the international strategic advisory board of data and analytics firm Dun & Bradstreet.

• Kumar, a veteran banker, currently works on the boards of HSBC Asia Pacific, L&T Infotech, Hero MotoCorp and BharatPe.

• Prior to this, he was appointed non-executive director of HSBC’s Asia unit.
• Dun & Bradstreet is contributing to empower MSMEs through technology-based finance, risk, compliance, data and marketing solutions in India.

Adviser in Defence Ministry

• Lt. Gen. Vinod G. Khandare has been appointed as Adviser in the Ministry of Defence. He will work closely with the Defence Secretary.

• He served as the Military Adviser in the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) under the Prime Minister’s Office from 2018 to 2021.

• He was commissioned into 14 Garhwal Rifles in September 1979 and served for nearly four decades.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

A New Book by Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu

• Nobel Peace Prize winners Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu co-authored a book titled ‘The Little Book of Joy’ for children.
• The book will be published by Random House Children’s Book and will be released in September 2022.
• This book focuses on the meaning of true happiness, which is not in the materialistic world but lies in the nature of human beings.
• In 2016, they also co-authored the book titled “The book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a changing world’.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day for the Right to the Truth

• International Day for the Right to the Truth is celebrated on 24 March.

• It is observed by United Nations concerning Gross human rights violations and for the dignity of victims every year.

• It also aims to contribute to those who have devoted their lives in the struggle to promote and protect human rights for all.

World Tuberculosis Day

• World Tuberculosis Day is celebrated every year on 24 March.

• It is celebrated to create awareness among the public to eliminate the disease.

• It was first celebrated in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch announced that he had discovered the bacterium that causes TB.
• The theme for the day 2022 is ‘Invest to End TB. Save Lives’.

OBITUARY

Former Chief Justice of India RC Lahoti

• Former Chief Justice of India Ramesh Chandra Lahoti passed away at New Delhi. He was at the age of 81.

• He was born on 01 November 1940 in Guna, Madhya Pradesh.

• Justice Lahoti was appointed as the 35th chief justice of India on June 1, 2004 and He retired on November 1, 2005
• He was also a former independent director on the board of directors of the Press Trust of India (PTI).
• Preamble: The spirit and Backbone of the Constitution of India and Canons of Judicial Ethics are the famous books authored by RC Lahoti.

First Female Secretary of US Madeleine Albright

• Madeleine Albright, the first female U.S secretary of the state has died of cancer. She was at the age of 84.

• She was serving as US ambassador to the United Nations before joining the Nation top diplomat.

• In 2012 she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama.