Current Affairs 2 March 2022

1. SN Subrahmanyan appointed chairperson of L&T Finance Holdings
2. ‘Operation Ganga’ – India’s mega mission to save its citizens in Ukraine
3. International Office to Accelerate Global Monsoon Research Launched on National Science Day; To Be Hosted At IITM Pune
4. Madhabi Puri Buch appointed first woman chairperson of SEBI
5. All India House Price Index rises 3.1 pc in Q3: RBI data
6. SECI and HPCL sign MoU to fulfill government’s ambitions of carbon-neutral economy
7. Nepal-India sign MoU on supply of Urea and DAP under G2G agreement
8. Union Minister for Women & Child Development Inaugurates celebration of International Day of Women – Week From 1st To 8th March
9. Google launches ‘Play Pass’ subscription in India
10. Dudhala in Gujarat to become first village to be completely solarized by a foundation
11. Janaushadhi Diwas week to be observed from 1st March to 7th March 2022
12. 31st Southeast Asian Games to open in Vietnam
13. Mahagram to power Bank of Maharashtra’s project – ‘Bank Sakhi’ in Odisha
14. Govt permits up to 20% FDI under automatic route in LIC
15. Prof Deepak Dhar from IISER-Pune Becomes 1st Indian Physicist to Receive Boltzmann Medal

1. SN Subrahmanyan appointed chairperson of L&T Finance Holdings

• The board of directors of L&T Finance Holdings Ltd (LTFH) approved the appointment of S N Subrahmanyan as its director and chairperson.
• Subrahmanyan takes over from Shailesh Haribhakti who served as the chairperson on the board of L&T Finance Holdings from 1 June 2017.
• Haribhakti will continue as a board member.

2. ‘Operation Ganga’ – India’s mega mission to save its citizens in Ukraine

• India has started a mega mission to evacuate its 20,000 citizens from Ukraine.
• India is the only country in the world that is evacuating its citizens from Ukraine on government expenses.
• On the other hand, most of the nations have clearly asked their citizens to bear their own expenses and make personal efforts to exit Ukraine.
• Capital of Ukraine : Kyiv.
• Currency : Ukrainian hryvnia.

3. International Office to Accelerate Global Monsoon Research Launched on National Science Day; To Be Hosted At IITM Pune

• The International Monsoons Project Office (IMPO) will be hosted at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, an institution under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Govt of India, initially for five years.
• Setting up the IMPO reiterates the importance of monsoons for the national economy.

4. Madhabi Puri Buch appointed first woman chairperson of SEBI

• Madhabi Puri Buch has been appointed as the new chairperson of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) – the first-ever woman to head the capital markets regulator.
• Buch (57), who was not only the first woman whole-time member of SEBI but also the first person from the private sector working at the regulator, has been appointed for a three-year term.

5. All India House Price Index rises 3.1 pc in Q3: RBI data

• The All India House Price Index (HPI) rose 3.1% in the third quarter of the fiscal on an annual basis, according to data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
• The RBI releases its quarterly house price index (HPI) based on transaction-level data received from housing registration authorities in ten major cities.

6. SECI and HPCL sign MoU to fulfill government’s ambitions of carbon-neutral economy

• Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaboratively work in the field of renewable energy, electric mobility, and alternative fuels including the development of ESG Projects.
• This is in line with the government’s vision of a carbon-neutral economy by 2070.

7. Nepal-India sign MoU on supply of Urea and DAP under G2G agreement

• India and Nepal sealed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a long-term supply of Urea and DAP fertilizers from India to Nepal under a G2G arrangement.
• The signing of this MoU is expected to help address the recurring fertilizer shortages in Nepal and enable improved agricultural productivity for the direct benefit of Nepali farmers.

8. Union Minister for Women & Child Development Inaugurates celebration of International Day of Women – Week From 1st To 8th March

• The Ministry of Women and Child Development is celebrating the International Women’s Day week from 1st to 8th March, 2022 as a part of nationwide celebrations of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’.
• WCD Ministry in collaboration with Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) to raise awareness on safety and security of women.
• Union Minister for Women and Child Development : Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani.

9. Google launches ‘Play Pass’ subscription in India

• Google has announced the launch of ‘Play Pass’ subscription service in India that will provide Android device users access to over 1,000 applications and games without ads, in-app purchases, and upfront payments.
• In India, users can get started with the service with a one-month trial and subscribe for Rs. 99 per month or Rs. 889 for the year.

10. Dudhala in Gujarat to become first village to be completely solarized by a foundation

• Goldi Solar, a global solar panel manufacturer and EPC services provider, in partnership with Shree Ramkrishna Knowledge Foundation (SRKKF) laid the foundation stone for the solarization of the village of Dudhala in Southern Gujarat.
• A 450 KW solar rooftop project will be used to power around 350 houses and public areas such as anganwadis and gram panchayat.

11. Janaushadhi Diwas week to be observed from 1st March to 7th March 2022

• Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI), under the aegis of Department of Pharmaceuticals is going to celebrate their 4th Jan Aushadhi Diwas by organizing week long celebrations at different locations across the country covering all States/UTs.
• This will generate awareness about the usages of generic medicines and benefits of Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana.

12. 31st Southeast Asian Games to open in Vietnam

• The 31st Southeast Asian Games, the region’s biggest sporting event, will be held in Vietnam from May 12 to 23, 2022.
• The Games will feature 40 sports with 526 events, attracting around 10,000 participants.
• The Vietnamese capital Hanoi will be the main venue alongside 11 neighbouring localities including Quang Ninh, Phu Tho and Bac Ninh, Xinhua.
• Moto of 31st Southeast Asian Games – “For a Stronger South East Asia”.

13. Mahagram to power Bank of Maharashtra’s project – ‘Bank Sakhi’ in Odisha

• Bank of Maharashtra has tied up with Mahagram to roll out the ‘Bank Sakhi’ project in Odisha.
• As part of the tie-up, the company has boarded more than 11,000 bank sakhis (women) on the BharatATM platform to help the rural citizens avail basic banking services at their doorstep or the next door Kirana stores.
• Fintech would provide financial technology & infrastructure support to rural areas.

14. Govt permits up to 20% FDI under automatic route in LIC

• Government has permitted up to 20 percent Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) under automatic route in Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) with an aim to facilitate disinvestment of the country’s largest insurer.
• The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) had mooted the proposal to allow FDI in LIC, after taking views from the Ministry of Finance.

15. Prof Deepak Dhar from IISER-Pune Becomes 1st Indian Physicist to Receive Boltzmann Medal

• The prestigious Boltzmann Medal for the year 2022 has been awarded to Prof Deepak Dhar from Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune (IISER Pune).
• The award was declared to Prof Dhar for his contribution in the field of ‘Statistical Physics’.
• He shared the award with American scientist John Hopfield.

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