NATIONAL NEWS

BEL signs deal with MoD

• The Indian Air Force, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and state-owned aerospace and defence electronics company Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) Bengaluru, Karnataka and BEL Hyderabad, Telangana signed an agreement.

• The aim of this agreement is to supply Advanced Electronic Warfare (EW) suite for fighter aircraft of Indian Air Force.

• The overall cost of the contract is estimated to be Rs 1,993 crore.
• The EW suite is indigenously designed and developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• The defence Ministry and BEL, Hyderabad, signed a Contract for Instrumented for the procurement of Electronic Warfare Range (IEWR) for the Indian Air Force at a cost of Rs 1,109 crore is a significant step towards enhancing the capabilities of IAF to prepare for future warfare.

Different Film Media Units with National Film Development Corporation

• The Information and Broadcasting Minister, Smriti Zubin Irani has announced the merging of production of documentaries and short films, organization of film festivals and preservation of films with the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), a public sector undertaking working under the Ministry.

• The merging of all these activities under a single management is to ensure better utilization of public resources.
• It will give a strong support to the production of films of all genres including feature films, documentaries, children films and animation films, organizing various domestic festivals and preservation of the filmic content.
• The ownership of the assets available with these units will be undertaken by the government.

Statehood Day of Rajasthan

• Rajasthan Foundation Day or Rajasthan Diwas or Rajasthan Statehood Day is observed every year on 30 March to commemorate the formation of the state.

• Rajasthan Day 2022 celebrates the 73rd foundation day of the state.

• Rajasthan was formed on 30 March, 1949 when Rajputana merged into the Indian Union.
• Rajasthan is the largest state in India by area.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Russian Foreign Minister-Two-day Visit to India

• Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov will arrive in New Delhi on 31 March, 2022 on a two-day visit to India.

• It will be the highest-level visit from Russia to India after Moscow launched its military operations in Ukraine on February 24

• The key focus is expected to be on a payment system for New Delhi's procurement of oil and military hardware from Moscow.
• Mr Lavrov will arrive in India after completing a two-day visit to China.

Dean R Thompson as next ambassador to Nepal

• US President Joe Biden has announced Dean R. Thompson as its new Ambassador to Nepal. Thompson will replace present US envoy Randy Berry.

• Thompson currently serves as the State Department's Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs.

• Prior to this, Thompson was the Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

India Signs MoU for Lithium and Cobalt

• India has signed an agreement to invest $6 million jointly with the Australian government to explore lithium and cobalt mines in Australia for the next six months.

• The MoU was signed by the Critical Minerals Facilitation Office (CMFO), and the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources (DISER) along with India’s Ministry of Mines joint venture company Khanij Bidesh India (KABIL).

• It was signed between the Government of India and Government of Australia for cooperation in the field of mining and processing of Critical and Strategic Minerals.
• KABIL is mandated to identify and acquire overseas mineral assets of critical and strategic nature such as lithium and cobalt.
• Lithium is a key component used in the battery used in Electric Vehicles (EV). India, through its Rs. 18,100 crore PLI scheme is offering incentives for companies to build battery cells locally for EVs.

BANKING

VAULT Program

• HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company, a leading private general insurer launched the VAULT program, an industry-first digital customer engagement and rewards program.

• HDFC ERGO is committed towards enhancing customer experience.

• This is an experiment to test a new technology under the Regulatory Sandbox of IRDAI.
• Under this program, the insurer will incentivize its Optima Restore health insurance customers by way of reward points for performing certain activities.
• The activities include staying insured under the policy for more than two years, holding two active HDFC ERGO retail policies, interacting digitally, using the cashless network of healthcare providers, etc.
• These reward points, equivalent to cash, can be redeemed against a wide range of wellness offers like pharmacy vouchers, doctor consultations, etc.

ECONOMY

India-China Bilateral Trade in Year of 2021

• According to Indian Embassy, in its annual commercial report on trade with China in 2021 announced India was the 14th largest trade partner of China, the 8th largest export destination for Chinese products.

• India-China bilateral trade in the year of 2021 increased by 43.31% year on year to reach US$ 125.62 billion.

• India’s exports to China increased by 34.28% year on year to reach US$28.03 billion.
• India’s imports from China emerged an increase by 46.14% to reach US$97.59 billion.
• The trade deficit came at US$ 69.56 billion, increasing by 51.53% year on year.
• India was the second largest exporter of diamonds and fifth largest exporter of iron ores to China.

SPORTS

National Para Swimming Championship 2022

• Narayan Seva Sansthan in Association with Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) Organized the 21st National Para Swimming Championship 2021-2022.

• It has been organized from March 25 to March 27, 2022 at the Swimming Pool Complex, Maharana Pratap Khel Gaon, Udaipur.

• Maharashtra has won the 21st National Para Swimming championship.
• Narayan Seva Sansthan is a non-governmental organization that works in the areas of education, health, and community development for the underprivileged and differently-abled people.
• The championship was based on standard international swimming rules that use Automatic Officiating Equipment for standard measurement of accurate time and distance.  

AWARDS & PRIZES

‘BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year' award

• The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) Indian Sportswoman of the Year Award is an initiative to honour sportswomen from India who have excelled in their respective fields.
• This year 2022 marks the 3rd edition.
• Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu (weightlifter) won the BBC Indian Sportswoman of The Year award. She became the first Indian weightlifter to clinch a silver medal at the Summer Olympics.
• Young India opener Shafali Verma (Cricketer) was awarded the ‘BBC Emerging Player' award. She is the youngest female cricketer to have played for India. She played in all three formats for the national team.
• The first Indian woman to have won a medal at the Olympics Games in Sydney 2000, former weightlifter Karnam Malleswari was awarded the ‘BBC Lifetime Achievement' award.

'Most Trusted Brands of India' Award

• India's leading UPS manufacturer and supplier, Numeric UPS won the 'Most Trusted Brands of India' 2022 award at an event in Mumbai.

• Satpal Singh, CEO of Numeric received the award.

• The award was announced by Team Marksmen.
• Numeric was shortlisted on the following 7 parameters. They are Corporate Citizenship, Trust Quotient, Business Resilience, Innovative Thinking, Digital Transformation, Stakeholder Capitalism and Sustainability Measures.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Director of ONGC Videsh Ltd

• State-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) Videsh Ltd (OVL) appointed O.N. Gyani as the director (operations) on the board of the company.

• Prior to joining OVL, he was the asset manager of the onshore asset – Mehsana.

• He was also involved in evaluation of carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) project for implementation in western India.
• Gyani started his career in 1987 as petroleum engineer from Indian School of Mines.

President of Badminton Association of India

• Himanta Biswa Sarma was re-elected as the president of Badminton Association of India (BAI) for a second term of four years from 2022 to 2026 during its General Body Meeting held in Guwahati.

• Sarma, who is also the current Chief Minister of Assam, was elected as BAI chief for the first time in 2017.

• He is also a Badminton Asia vice president and a member of the Badminton World Federation Executive Council.
• Former junior national coach Sanjay Mishra will be the new general secretary of BAI.

OBITUARY

Belgian footballer, Miguel van Damme

• Belgian footballer, Miguel van Damme has tragically passed away due to Leukaemia.He was at the age of 28.

• He was associated with Cercle Brugge Club.

• He won the Belgian second division award during the Season 2017-2018.