“Just a Mercenary?”: The Memoir of Duvvuri Subbarao

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1 “Just a Mercenary?”: The Memoir of Duvvuri Subbarao

In  his recently published memoir, “ Just a Mercenary?: Notes from My Life and Career ”,  former  Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Duvvuri Subbarao  takes readers on a captivating journey through his distinguished career, including The various roles involved range from sub-collector to finance secretary and ultimately, the head of the central bank.

2 Cluster Development Program-Security

Recently,  the Central Government  has   launched a new platform called CDP-Suraksha  to provide  subsidy to the farmers of horticulture sector under  the Cluster Development Program (CDP)  . This will boost India’s horticulture sector, which contributes about one-third to agricultural gross value added (GVA). Security here means “system for integrated resource allocation, knowledge and support for safe horticulture”. This platform will allow prompt disbursement of subsidy into the bank accounts of farmers using E-RUPI vouchers from National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). It includes features like database integration with PM-Kisan, cloud-based server space through NIC, UIDAI verification, eRUPI integration, Local Government Directory (LGD), content management system, geotagging and geo-fencing.

3 Famous Indian actor Ram Charan received honorary doctorate in literature from the University of Wales

 The University of  Wales  , Chennai  , honored renowned Indian  actor Ram Charan  with  an honorary doctorate in literature . This distinguished honor celebrates Charan’s remarkable contribution to the world of cinema and his profound impact on audiences around the world. The event was attended by eminent personalities including Chandrayaan Project Coordinator Dr P Veeramuthuvel, Trivitron Healthcare Founder and CMD Dr GSK Velu and table tennis player and Padma Shri awardee Achanta Sharath Kamal.

4 Tiantong Project

Recently,  Chinese  engineers and scientists   have created  the world’s first satellite with the help of which calls can be made from smartphones without a mobile tower  . It is designed for use in emergency situations where mobile connectivity is disrupted, allowing people   to get help by directly connecting to the Overhead Communication Orbiter . The Tiantong Satellite  Initiative is a strategic initiative in view of the advances in telecommunications and the increasing demand for connectivity, especially in remote and disaster-prone areas.  Each Tiantong satellite designed has a life cycle of 12 years and its antenna is capable of transmitting and receiving electromagnetic waves in 800 different frequency bands as well as withstanding daily temperature changes of up to 160 degrees Celsius.  The first satellite of the Tiantong-1 series was launched in August 2016  , followed by the second and third satellites in 2020 and 2021 respectively. 36,000 km. The three satellites, in a geosynchronous orbit at an altitude of 1500 m, connect into a network that covers the entire Asia-Pacific region from the Middle East to the Pacific Ocean. In September 2023, Huawei Technologies launched the world’s first smartphone to support satellite calls, directly connected to the Tiantong network of satellites, followed by other companies launching similar models. The concept of this type of satellite arose after the 2008  Sichuan earthquake  , which resulted in the loss of more than 80,000 lives due to communication disruptions.

5 NASA’s Mars Sample Return Program

Recently  NASA  ‘s  Perseverance rover,  nicknamed  Percy ,  made the first ” Sample Depot on Another World ”   with ten rock sample tubes , to  be returned to Earth as part of the Mars Sample Return campaign . However the plan is very expensive, costing  $11 billion  , and will only be implemented until the year 2040. It is a robotic explorer part of NASA’s Mars 2020 mission. It was launched in July 2020 and   landed in Jezero Crater on Mars in February 2021. It is a Mars rover the size of a car, but with all the equipment it weighs only 1,025 kg. It collects rock and soil samples and puts them in tubes to send to Earth in the future. A multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator, which uses the heat generated from plutonium to generate electricity, serves as the power source for the rover.

6 Fourth global mass coral bleaching begins

Coral Reef Watch (CRW)  of  the United States  and  the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI)  have   confirmed the fourth global mass coral bleaching event in the year 2023–2024 . This is the second such incident in the last  10 years  , which has happened at a time when unprecedented temperatures have been recorded in the global oceans in the year 2023 and 2024. The El Niño phenomenon in the equatorial Pacific Ocean has seen an increase in the temperatures of land and oceans. During El Niño events, warm ocean currents from the central and eastern Pacific Ocean move into the western Pacific Ocean, causing sea surface temperatures to rise in many areas. Among long-term patterns, ocean warming and macro-scale coral bleaching are closely linked to El Niño events. This warming effect of El Nino contributes to ocean warming, which puts pressure on coral reefs. Various factors responsible for coral bleaching include rising sea surface temperatures, widespread marine heatwaves, ocean acidification and pollution. When sea surface temperatures and ocean temperatures in general increase, algae on hard corals die. Due to this the corals turn white. This process is known as ‘coral bleaching’. Once bleached, corals can become vulnerable to diseases and eventually die.

7 Apple and CleanMax collaborate to advance renewable energy in India

Apple has partnered with CleanMax to install  14.4 MW of rooftop solar power at six industrial sites   in India   , aiming to reduce emissions associated with its operations in the country. These installations are expected to reduce approximately 207,000 tonnes of carbon emissions over their entire operational lifetime.

8 SBI Life introduces IdeaX for life insurance innovation

SBI Life Insurance , one of the country’s most trusted private life insurance companies,  launched the first edition of  ‘ IdeationX ‘. This is a pioneering initiative that  can revolutionize the future of  the insurance sector . This innovative platform aims to  sensitize future leaders from B-schools (business schools) across the country about unconventional life insurance solutions  . Also to encourage thinking, innovation and presentation. It addresses the growing insurance needs of consumers. Also contribute to reshaping the landscape of India’s life insurance sector. The main objective of this initiative is to harness the innovation of the youth who will lead the country in the future. So that various insurance needs can be identified and product solutions can be conceptualized to meet those needs.

9 Dhanlaxmi Bank appoints Ajit Kumar KK as managing director

Private sector  Dhanlaxmi Bank  said it   has appointed Ajit Kumar KK  as  the managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO)  of the bank for a period of  three years . Dhanlaxmi Bank said in the information given to the stock market that after this the approval of the shareholders will be obtained as per the regulatory provisions.

10 Top Indian Banks in Asia-Pacific: S&P Global Report

 According to a report by  S&P Global Market Intelligence released on April 18, 2024,  three Indian banks, SBI, HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank,  have   been included among the top 50 banks in the Asia-Pacific region . Chinese banks  are again dominating this list  . In this list, banks were ranked on the basis of their assets (loans given to customers). In the list, SBI has been ranked 20th, HDFC Bank 33rd and ICICI Bank 48th. Chinese banks dominated the list. Of the top 10 banks in the Asia-Pacific region, 6 were Chinese banks.  The world’s largest bankIndustrial and Commercial Bank of China Limited , remained the largest bank in the region at the end of 2023. Agricultural Bank of China Limited was in second place. China Construction Bank Corporation was in third place. According to the S&P report, assets of the top four Chinese banks are expected to grow by 10.2 percent to $21.91 trillion in 2023, with the Agricultural Bank seeing the biggest increase at 14.3 percent.

11 Adani family invested Rs 8339 crore in Ambuja Cement.

Ambuja Cements Limited, the cement manufacturing company of  Adani Group,   has made a big announcement related to its future. The company has said that the Adani family has fully subscribed to the warrant program with an additional  investment of Rs 8,339 crore  in the company. With this, the total investment of Adani family in the company has increased to Rs 20,000 crore. With the latest investment, the Adani family’s stake in Ambuja Cements  increased to 70.3%  . Earlier, the Adani family had invested Rs 5,000 crore on October 18, 2022 and Rs 6,661 crore on March 28, 2024 in Ambuja Cements in exchange for stake in shares.

12 Vinesh Phogat and Anshu Malik secured Paris Olympic quota by making it to the final of Asian Olympic Wrestling Qualifier

Vinesh Phogat  and  Anshu Malik  have  secured  Paris Olympic quota  by making it to the final of   the Asian Olympic Wrestling Qualifier . In the semi-final match held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan,  Phogat defeated Laura Ganikizi of Kazakhstan and Anshu defeated Lelokhon Sobirova of Uzbekistan to reach the final.

13 Pat Cummins and Sciver-Brunt named as Wisden’s top cricketers

In the 2024 edition of the prestigious  Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack  , two extraordinary talents –  Australian captain Pat Cummins  and  England all-rounder Nat Sciver-Brunt , have been crowned as the Wisden Leading Cricketers in the World. Australian captain Pat Cummins has cemented his place as one of the world’s premier fast bowlers, leading his team to remarkable achievements over the past year. On the women’s side, England’s Nat Sciver-Brunt has been recognized as the Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World, a testament to her exceptional performances in the Ashes series.

14 World Liver Day 2024

World Liver Day (WLD) is celebrated every year on 19 April   to increase awareness  about the liver and its importance  in the human body  . According to the World Health Organization (WHO), liver diseases are the 10th most common cause of death in India. According to the National Institute of Health and Family Welfare, the liver is the second largest and most complex organ in the body after the brain. It is a major part of the digestive system of the body. This year the theme of 2024 World Liver Day has been kept , ‘ Keep your liver healthy and disease -free ‘ .