NATIONAL NEWS
Former Chief Justice of India R C Lahoti passes away
Former Chief Justice of India Ramesh Chandra Lahoti passed away at the age of 81 years. Justice Lahoti was appointed as the 35th chief justice of India on June 1, 2004. He retired on November 1, 2005. After serving in the post for a year, Justice Lohati resigned in May 1978 and returned to the Bar to practice mainly in the High Court. He was appointed an additional judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on May 3, 1988, and made a permanent judge on August 4 the next year. He was transferred to Delhi High Court on February 7, 1994, and later appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court on December 9, 1998.
PFRDA and Irdai granted licence to FinMapp to sell NPS, insurance
FinMapp, a financial services firm, announced that it has been granted a licence under the National Pension Scheme by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA). It has also obtained a registration certificate as a corporate agent from the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai). On its app, the organisation offers a variety of financial goods, from mutual funds to bank accounts. A one-stop marketplace for all financial products made digitally available by prominent banks, NBFCs, insurance companies, mutual funds institutions, and capital markets, according to the company.
PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana extended by half a year
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has extended the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY) scheme for another six months, till September 2022, in order to show care and compassion towards the underprivileged and vulnerable parts of society (Phase VI). The PM-GKAY scheme’s Phase-V was set to finish in March 2022. It should be noted that the PM-GKAY has been in effect since April 2020, making it the world’s largest food security programme. So far, the government has spent over Rs. 2.60 lakh crore, with another Rs. 80,000 crore set to be invested over the next six months through September 2022, bringing the total expenditure under PM-GKAY to roughly Rs. 3.40 lakh crore. This will benefit over 80 million people across India and, like before, will be totally sponsored by the Indian government. Despite the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has largely subsided and economic activity is picking up, this PM-GKAY extension would ensure that no impoverished family goes to bed hungry during this period of recovery. In addition to his normal NFSA quota of foodgrains, each beneficiary under the extended PM-GKAY will receive an additional 5 kg free ration per person each month. This means that each disadvantaged family would receive roughly double the usual allotment.
An auspicious celebration of spirit of the Tribe culture: Aadi Bazaar
In keeping with the sequence of Aadi Bazaars – A Celebration of the Spirit of Tribal Culture and Cuisine, a new one opened on March 26th, 2022 in Ekta Nagar, Kevadia, Statue of Unity in Gujarat’s Narmada district. The 11-day exhibition, which began on March 26 and ended on April 5, was inaugurated by Smt. Nimishaben Suthar, Minister of State for Tribal Development, Health, Family Welfare, and Medical Education, Government of Gujarat, in the august presence of Dr. Kuberbhai Manshukhbhai Dindor, Minister of State for Higher and Technical Education, Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs, Government of Gujarat; Shri Ramsinh Rathwa, Chairperson, TRI. More than 100 exhibitors will represent more than 10 states from throughout the country at the bright 11-day exhibition offering organic tribal goods and handcrafted wares at the landmark monument, Statue of Unity. The efforts of Bharat Ratna Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India’s First Deputy Prime Minister, are largely responsible for the country’s unity. As a result, one of his key goals for the country was for it to be inclusive and united. This magnificent monument, the world’s tallest statue, is a homage to the values that Sardar Patel preached and upheld. In addition, this district is predominantly a tribal region.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Creator of the GIF format, Stephen Wilhite passes away
Stephen Wilhite, the creator of the Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) format passed away at the age of 74 years due to Covid-19 related issues. Wilhite devised the Graphics Interchange Format, or GIF, in 1987 while working at Compuserve. The Oxford American Dictionary named GIF the word of the year in 2012. He was honoured with a Webby Lifetime Achievement award in 2013.
Mario Marcel wins the Governor of the year award 2022
Mario Marcel, the Governor of the Central Bank of Chile, has won the Governor of the year award at the Central Banking Awards 2022. Banco Central de Chile is the name of the central bank of Chile. When Mario Marcel was named governor of the Central Bank of Chile (BCCh) in October 2016, he took over the leadership of an institution that had secured a reputation as one of the most independent and well-run central banks in Latin America.
A Children’s Book ‘The Little Book of Joy’ authored by Dalai Lama & Desmond Tutu
A picture book edition co-authored by Nobel Peace Prize winners 14th Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso) & Archbishop Desmond Tutu, titled The Little Book of Joy will be released in September 2022. The illustrations provided by artist Rafael López and Rachel Neumann & Douglas Abrams collaborated on the text. 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, which became a bestseller & sold more than 1 million copies and translated into more than 40 languages.
