Current Affairs 19 March 2022

1. ‘Green Triangle’ named after Mahatma Gandhi inaugurated in Madagascar’s capital
2. CAMS launches Central Record Keeping Agency under NPS
3. NCRTC unveils coaches of India’s first rapid rail for Delhi-Meerut corridor
4. International Adolescent Health Week to be celebrated from March 20 to 26
5. Defence Minister inaugurates Flight Control System Integration complex in Bengaluru
6. Poster of Mujib – The Making of a Nation, India-Bangladesh co-produced biopic on ‘Bangabandhu’ Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Released
7. Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has made two Indian Standards pertaining to drinking water: Centre
8. 8689 Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendra’s have been opened up covering all districts of the country
9. Israel-based Coralogix forms Snowbit, a cyber security venture in India
10. MoHUA announces winners of EatSmart Cities Challenge
11. 36th International Geological Congress to be held in New Delhi
12. IIT Madras, RBI Innovation Hub join hands to boost fintech startups
13. Ujjivan Small Finance Bank appoints M.D. Ramesh Murthy as Chief Financial Officer
14. Tapan Singhel gets 5-year extension as Bajaj Allianz General Insurance’s MD & CEO

1. ‘Green Triangle’ named after Mahatma Gandhi inaugurated in Madagascar’s capital

• As part of the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ to commemorate India’s 75th year of independence, a “Green Triangle” named after Mahatma Gandhi was jointly inaugurated in Madagascar’s capital Antananarivo.
• The word green in the plaque signifies their commitment to sustainable development and saving the environment.

2. CAMS launches Central Record Keeping Agency under NPS

• Computer Age Management Services Limited (CAMS), India’s largest registrar and transfer agent of mutual funds (a SEBI regulated entity) has announced the go-live and launch of Central Record Keeping Agency (CRA) under the National Pension System (NPS).Sector regulator Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority appointed CAMS as a CRA to broad-base the service to NPS.
• NPS was launched on 1st January 2004 by the Central Government and is regulated by PFRDA.

3. NCRTC unveils coaches of India’s first rapid rail for Delhi-Meerut corridor

• The National Capital Regional Transport Corporation (NCRTC) has unveiled the coaches of India’s first rapid rail for the Delhi – Meerut corridor.
• The Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) train will run on the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor and cover a distance of 82 km in just 55 minutes.
• The train will be capable of accommodating 1500 passengers at once.

4. International Adolescent Health Week to be celebrated from March 20 to 26

• It is an annual international week of dynamic participatory events to inspire health care providers, policy makers, administrators, media and adolescents and their communities to advocate for a successful transition into adulthood.
• Indian Academy of Pediatrics’ Adolescent Health Academy is coordinating the national celebrations of International Adolescent Health Week.

5. Defence Minister inaugurates Flight Control System Integration complex in Bengaluru

• The Minister inaugurated a seven-storeyed Flight Control System Integration facility at Aeronautical Development Establishment, laboratory of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in Bengaluru.
• This FCS facility will support R&D activities for developing Avionics for Fighter Aircraft and FCS for Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft being undertaken by ADE in Bengaluru
• Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO : G. Satheesh Reddy.
• DRDO Headquarters : Delhi.

6. Poster of Mujib – The Making of a Nation, India-Bangladesh co-produced biopic on ‘Bangabandhu’ Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Released

• Renowned director Shyam Benegal has released the poster of the film Mujib – The Making of a Nation, a biopic on Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of the nation of Bangladesh on 17th March 2022.
• The film on ‘Bangabandhu’ is being made under an Audio Visual Co-Production Agreement between the Republic of India and the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.
• It was released on the 102nd birth anniversary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

7. Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has made two Indian Standards pertaining to drinking water : Centre

• Center has informed that the Bureau of Indian Standards has made two Indian Standards pertaining to drinking water, namely, IS 10500:2012 on Drinking Water Specification and IS 17482:2020 on Drinking Water Supply Management System Requirements for Piped Drinking Water Supply.
• BIS standards are not mandatory for civic agencies engaged in supplying drinking to houses.

8. 8689 Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendra’s have been opened up covering all districts of the country

• Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) was launched by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, Government of India in November, 2008.
• Under the scheme, dedicated outlets known as Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendra (PMBJKs) are opened to provide generic medicines at cheaper rates to the citizens of the country.
• The Government has set a target to have 10,500 PMBJK by March 2025 across the country.

9. Israel-based Coralogix forms Snowbit, a cyber security venture in India

• Israel-based Coralogix, announced its foray into the India cyber security market with the launch of security venture Snowbit.
• The company is a full-service cybersecurity venture focussed on empowering cloud-native companies to secure themselves against growing cyber risks in a quick, efficient, and cost-effective manner.
• It is founded and led by tech veterans and former Amazon Web Services (AWS) executives.

10. MoHUA announces winners of EatSmart Cities Challenge

• The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs announced eleven winning cities for the EatSmart Cities Challenge.
• The challenge was launched by MoHUA in collaboration with Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on 15th April, 2021, to scale up the Eat Right India approach to city level.

11. 36th International Geological Congress to be held in New Delhi

• The 36th International Geological Congress (IGC), themed “Geosciences: The Basic Science for a Sustainable Future” will be held here during 20-22 March, 2022 on a virtual platform.
• The 36th IGC is a joint endeavour of the Ministry of Mines, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Indian National Science Academy and the Science Academies of Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
• Described as the Olympics of Geosciences, the IGCs are held quadrennial.

12. IIT Madras, RBI Innovation Hub join hands to boost fintech startups

• India’s leading deep-tech startup hub spearheaded by IIT Madras Incubation Cell (IITMIC) and RBI Innovation Hub (RBIH), a wholly owned subsidiary of Reserve Bank of India, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to work together in developing the ecosystem necessary to support and scale fintech startups in India.
• The startup ecosystem in India makes a significant contribution to economic prosperity.

13. Ujjivan Small Finance Bank appoints M.D. Ramesh Murthy as Chief Financial Officer

• Ujjivan Small Finance Bank has appointed MD Ramesh Murthy as the new Chief Financial Officer (CFO). As CFO, Murthy will be responsible for formulating and guiding the bank’s strategy for growth, while also leading the Finance and Accounts functions.
• Murthy joins Ujjivan SFB from Karur Vysya Bank where he was the CRO and subsequently, the CFO.
• Murthy is a Chartered Accountant and an alumnus of The Harvard Business School.

14. Tapan Singhel gets 5-year extension as Bajaj Allianz General Insurance’s MD & CEO

• Bajaj Allianz General Insurance announced a five-year tenure extension of its managing director and CEO Tapan Singhel.
• The new term will be effective from April 1, 2022, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance.
• Under Singhel’s leadership, the company has emerged as one of the largest and most profitable private general insurers in the country ensuring growth, and profitability.

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