Current Affairs One-Liner : 12th October 2023

• National:
• The Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers (MoC&F) has indeed launched a web portal to provide statistical data related to the chemical sector. The portal, www.charak.chemicals.gov.in, was developed by the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals along with the National Informatics Center.

• The European Parliament voted in favor of the new voluntary standard for the use of a “European Green Bond” label, calling it the first of its kind in the world.Europe is the world’s biggest issuer of green bonds, accounting for more than half of global volume in 2021, though issuance is still only 3% to 3.5% of the overall bond market.
• Mahindra Last Mile Mobility Ltd. (MLMML) has received the first installment of 300 crore from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) for its electric vehicle division. The IFC had committed to investing 600 crore in the division.
• Mukesh Ambani, the chairman of Reliance Industries, has secured the top position as India’s richest person on the 360 ONE Wealth Hurun India Rich List 2023. His wealth has surged from 1,65,100 crore in 2014 to nearly ₹8,08,700 crore in 2023.
• Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, launched the Intelligent Grievance Monitoring System (IGMS) 2.0 Public Grievance portal. This portal has been developed by the team at IIT Kanpur.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth about Rs 4,200 crore in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand. These projects, numbering 23 in total, are aimed at boosting infrastructure, education, health, electricity, drinking water, sports, tourism, disaster mitigation and horticulture sectors in the hill state.
• India launched ‘Operation Ajay’ to facilitate the return of Indian nationals from Israel amidst the ongoing conflict with Hamas. The operation was planned by the Indian Armed Forces and Ministry of External Affairs.
• The Union Cabinet of India has indeed approved Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Papua New Guinea and Trinidad & Tobago in the field of digital technologies. These MoUs aim to promote closer cooperation and exchange of experiences and digital technologies-based solutions in the implementation of digital transformational initiatives of both countries.
• A new standardised Protocol for Management of Malnutrition in Children was indeed launched by Smt Smriti Zubin Irani. This protocol has been jointly prepared by the Ministry of Women and Child Development and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt of India.
• The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the establishment of an autonomous body called ‘Mera Yuva Bharat’ (MY Bharat) on October 11, 2023. The primary objective of Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat) is to make it a whole of Government platform for youth development.
• Economy:
• The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the amendment of the Second Schedule of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (‘MMDR Act’) for specifying the rate of royalty in respect of three critical and strategic minerals: Lithium, Niobium, and Rare Earth Elements (REEs).
• The Finance Ministry has amended the Income Tax Rules, which now exempt non-residents and foreign companies from the requirement of submitting their Permanent Account Number (PAN) when opening a bank account in IFSC Gift City.
• Sports:
• Rohit Sharma has indeed broken Chris Gayle’s record for the most sixes in international cricket. During the ICC World Cup 2023 match against Afghanistan, Rohit Sharma hit his 554th six, surpassing Chris Gayle’s previous record of 553 sixes.
• Max Verstappen has indeed won his third Formula One world championship. He secured the title during the Qatar Grand Prix sprint race. This victory marks Verstappen’s third consecutive world championship.
• Appointments:
• Navneet Munot, MD and CEO of HDFC Asset Management, has been elected as the new Chairman of the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI). He will take over the position from A Balasubramanian and is set to take charge from October 16, 2023.
• Important Days:
• The International Day of the Girl Child is observed annually on October 11. The theme for the year 2023 is "Invest in Girls’ Rights: Our Leadership, Our Well-being". This day aims to raise awareness of the challenges girls face and to promote their empowerment.
• Banking:
• Federal Bank has indeed extended UPI (Unified Payments Interface) services to its NRI (Non-Resident Indian) clients. This service is available through its mobile banking platform, FedMobile.
• Paysharp Private Limited, an RBI in-principle approved payment aggregator based out of Chennai, has recently received the ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification. This is an international standard in information security management systems.

Question:

Q.1 Who topped the 360 ONE Wealth Hurun India Rich List 2023?
a. Gautam Adani
b. Cyrus S Poonawalla
c. Mukesh Ambani
d. Shiv Nadar

Q.2 Who has been elected as the new Chairman of the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI)?
a. A Balasubramanian
b. Navneet Munot
c. Anthony Heredia
d. None of the above