Current Affairs Quiz - September, 2021

Notes:
The Punjab government and the American Chamber of Commerce in India (Amcham India) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to promote investment in the state as well as further increase the ease of doing business for US member companies. The first-of-its-kind MoU that Amcham India signed with any state will also see the formation of a joint working group which will include members from Invest Punjab and the American trade body.

Notes:
Amazon India has announced the launch of Kisan Store – an online platform that will enable farmers across India to get access to more than 8,000 agriculture inputs such as seeds, farm tools and accessories, plant protection, nutrition, and more. These products, which are listed by small and medium businesses (SMBs), will be available at competitive prices on Amazon India, with the added convenience of delivery at the doorstep of the farmers. The store was launched by Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

Notes:
Reserve Bank of India has taken public sector lender UCO Bank out of Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework (PCA) on improvement in financial and credit profile. This decision gives the bank more freedom for lending, especially to corporations and grows the network, subject to prescribed norms. The Kolkata-based lender was placed under PCA in May 2017 on account of high Net Net-Performing Assets (NPAs) and negative Return on Assets (RoAs). As of March 2021, its net NPAs declined to 3.94% from 8.54% in March 2017 (FY17).

Notes:
Arun Kumar Singh appointed new Chairman and MD of BPCL Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), a ‘Maharatna’ and a Fortune Global 500 Company has announced the appointment of Arun Kumar Singh as the Chairman and Managing Director of the company and consequently he has taken charge on September 7, 2021.

Notes:
Karnataka government has roped in Jana Small Finance Bank (Jana SFB) to build digital payment infrastructure to support its Namma Shaale Nanna Koduge (Our school, my contribution) initiative. The Namma Shaale Nanna Koduge software was launched on September 5 to provide accessibility to donors who wish to donate money to government schools in Karnataka.

Notes:
Bank of Baroda has launched its digital banking platform ‘bob World’, aimed at providing all banking services under one roof. bob World’ will offer a wide gamut of banking products and services, to be rolled out in phases, under four key pillars — Save, Invest, Borrow and Shop.

Notes:
Former IPS officer Iqbal Singh Lalpura, has been chosen as chairman of National Commission for Minorities. The awards he has won include President’s police medal, police medal for meritorious services, Shiromani Sikh Sahitkar award, Sikh scholar award, etc. He hails from Punjab.

Notes:
Hyderabad-based International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) has been awarded the Africa Food Prize 2021 for improving food security in sub-Saharan Africa. The award was given away at the Africa Forum for Green Revolution (AGRF) 2021 Summit that is underway in Nairobi, Kenya. ICRISAT got the award for the Tropical Legumes Project that has improved food security across 13 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. ICRISAT has its headquarters at Patancheru on the outskirts of Hyderabad.

Notes:
Four-time winner on the European Tour, Jeev Milkha Singh has become the first professional golfer in the world to get the prestigious 10-year Dubai Golden Visa in recognition of his outstanding achievements in the sport.

Notes:
Gujarat-based ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AMNS) signed a pact with National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) to provide critical steel products to MSMEs in the sector. ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AMNS) will utilise its hypermart network for the initiative. MNS India and NSIC teams will develop a network which will deliver critical products to the hard-hit MSME segment. This is a first of its kind MoU signed by NSIC with a private steel company.