Daily GK Update: 24th April 2021
1. National Panchayati Raj Day: 24th April
- National Panchayati Raj Day (National Local Self-Government day) is observed every year on April 24 In India.
- April 24 is the historic day on which Panchayati Raj had come into force through 73rd Amendment Act 1992 marking a defining moment in the history of decentralization of power to the grassroots in the country.
- National Panchayati Raj Day was declared on 24 April 2010 by the then PM Manmohan Singh
- On this occasion, SVAMITVA scheme will be launched this year
National & International Appointments
2. Rekha Menon takes over as first woman Chairperson of NASSCOM
- Rekha M Menon has been appointed as the Chairperson of National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) for 2021-22
- She will be the first woman to take the role of chairperson for Nasscom in its 30-year history
- NASSCOM: Apex IT industry body.
- She is currently serving as the Chairperson of Accenture India
- Prior to this, she was also the vice-chair of NASSCOM
- She succeeds U.B. Pravin Rao.
- Krishnan Ramanujam has been appointed as the vice-chairperson.
National & International Appointments
3. Atanu Chakraborty appointed as part-time Chairman of HDFC Bank
- RBI has approved the appointment of former Economic Affairs Secretary, Atanu Chakraborty, as the part time Chairman and additional independent director of HDFC Bank
- He was a 1985 batch IAS officer of Gujarat cadre
- He has been appointed for 3 years with effect from May 5, 2021.
- He retired as Secretary of Dept of Economic Affairs in April 2020.
- Prior to that, he served as Secretary of Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM)
- HDFC HQs: Mumbai
National Affairs
4. PM Modi launches distribution of e-property cards under SVAMITVA scheme
- PM Modi has virtually launched distribution of e-property cards under SVAMITVA scheme
- 4.09 lakh property owners were given their e-property cards, along with rolling out of SVAMITVA scheme for implementation across the country on the occasion of Panchayati Raj Day
- SVAMITVA (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas Scheme): It was launched by in April 2020 on a pilot basis in 6 states for using technical tools of mapping and surveying.
National & International Appointments
5. Justice N V Ramana takes oath as 48th CJI
- Justice Nuthalapati Venkata Ramana took oath as the 48th Chief Justice of India.
- The oath has been administered by President Ram Nath Kovind at a brief ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
- He succeeded Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde.
- He will have a tenure of nearly 16 months as the Chief Justice and is due to retire on 26th August 2021
- He served as the Chief Justice of Delhi High Court in 2013 and was elevated as a Judge of the Supreme Court on February 2014.
Sports
6. India bags 11 medals at 2021 AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships
- India bagged 11 medals comprising of 8 gold and 3 bronze to finish top in the medal table in 2021 AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships that was held in Kielce, Poland
- The championship was a 10-day biennial event that witnessed 414 boxers from 52 countries.
- Gold Winners: Gitika, Naorem Babyrojisana Chanu, Poonam Pinia, Vinka, Arundhati Choudhary, Thokchom Sanamacha Chanu, Alfiya Pathan, Sachin
- Bronze Winners: Bishwamitra Chongtham, Ankit Narwal, Vishal Gupta
Important Dates
7. World Day for Laboratory Animals: 24 April
- World Day for Animals in Laboratories (World Lab Animal Day or World Day for Laboratory Animals) is observed every year on 24 April.
- Aim: to end the suffering of animals in laboratories around the world and promote their replacement with advanced scientific non-animal techniques
- The day was instituted in 1979 by National Anti-Vivisection Society (NAVS).
- Apart from this, April 20 to 26 is observed as ‘World Week for Animals In Laboratories' (Lab Animal Week)
Banking & Finance
8. Ind-Ra Projects India’s GDP Growth Rate at 10.1% in FY22
- India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) has projected GDP growth forecast of India in FY22 (2021-22) to 10.1 percent.
- Earlier, Ind-Ra estimated India GDP to be at 10.4%.
- Downward revision is due to the second wave of COVID-19 infections and slower pace of vaccination.
- For FY21 (2020-21), the economy is estimated to have contracted by 7.6%
- Ind-Ra: wholly owned subsidiary of the Fitch Group.
Banking & Finance
9. RBI allows Commercial Banks to pay up to 50% Pre-Covid Dividends
- RBI has allowed commercial banks to pay dividends on equity shares for FY21, from the profits for the fiscal year subject to certain conditions and limits
- It will allows commercial banks to pay dividends not more than 50% of the amount determined as per the dividend payout ratio prescribed
- This means that banks may pay dividends upto 50% of what they paid before Covid scenario
- Banks will meet applicable minimum regulatory capital requirements after dividend payment
Books & Authors
10. Aakash Ranison launches e-book Climate Change Explained-For One And All
- Climate activist-author Aakash Ranison has released e-book titled ‘Climate Change Explained – for one and all’, on the occasion of Earth Day (April 22)
- The book explains the impact of climate change and aims to motivate readers to reduce its outcome with the help of simple sustainable solutions.
- It is a mix of facts, data, and information about climate change, having topics like Greenhouse effect, global warming, Carbon footprint and their effects on earth
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