Today's Current Affairs-17th August 2022

INTERNATIONAL

William Ruto has won the Kenyan election

• Kenyan Deputy President, William Ruto is now the country’s president-elect after he was declared the winner of the last presidential election over five-time contender Raila Odinga. Before Wafula Chebukati, the chair of Kenya’s electoral commission could announce Ruto’s victory. Ruto received 50.49% of the vote, the chairman said, while Odinga received 48.85%.
• Ruto, who has promised a break from the “dynasties” that have dominated Kenyan politics since independence, projected a conciliatory tone in his acceptance speech, urging unity. Kenya is a model of democracy in East Africa, a region where authoritarianism has been ascendant. These elections had been hailed as a step forward for Kenyan democracy because the campaign was marked by political maturity. Politicians focused on economic issues, instead of the tribal mobilization that has been a feature of every Kenyan election since independence.

About Kenya:

Capital: Nairobi

Currency: Shilling

Official languages: Swahili, English

 NATIONAL

Defence Minster Unveils Statue Of Marwar Warrior Durgadas

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has unveiled the Statue of “Veer Durgadas Rathore” on his 385th birth anniversary in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur. The Raksha Mantri paid glowing tribute to Veer Durgadas Rathore on the occasion, terming him as the symbol of social harmony, honesty, bravery and devotion. He stated that people, irrespective of caste or religion, should take inspiration from Veer Durgadas Rathore, who strived for peace and harmony against divisive elements in society.
• Veer Durgadas Rathore single-handedly preserved the rule of the Rathore dynasty over Marwar (Jodhpur) after the death of Maharaja Jaswant Singh in the 17th century.
• Durgadas Rathore (13 August 1638 – 22 November 1718) was the Rathore Rajput General of the Kingdom of Marwar. He is credited with having preserved the rule of the Rathore dynasty over Marwar, India, following the death of Maharaja Jaswant Singh in the 17th century.In doing so he had to defy Aurangzeb, a Mughal emperor.

About Rajasthan:

Governor: Kalraj Mishra

Capital: Jaipur (Executive Branch)

Chief Minister: Ashok Gehlot

 SPORTS

Azlan Shah hockey tournament to return after two-year hiatus

• Malaysia’s premier men’s hockey tournament, the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2022 will be held from November 16 to 25 in Ipoh. The tournament is making a return after a two-year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. World No 1 Australia, fifth-ranked Germany, India, New Zealand, and Canada have been invited to the tournament. All matches will be played at the Azlan Shah Stadium in the city of Ipoh in Malaysia, which is the permanent venue of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.
• Last time the Azlan Shah tournament was held in 2019 which was won by South Korea beating India in the final, which was there 3rd title. Best player of the tournament was Surender Kumar. Most Azlan Shah tournament is won by Australia (10 times) then comes India with 5 titles. And Pakistan, South Korea with 3 titles each.

About Malaysia:

King: Abdullah of Pahang 

Capital: Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur

Currency: Malaysian ringgit

Prime Minister: Ismail Sabri Yaakob

Delhi HC appoints Committee of Administrators to take over affairs of IOA

• The Indian Olympic Association has been directed by the Delhi High Court to set up a three-member Committee of Administrators(CoA) to take over its affairs. According to PTI, the court took the decision after the IOA’s “persistent recalcitrance” to comply with the Sports Code.
• A bench of Justices Manmohan and Najmi Waziri said the CoA to run IOA’s day-to-day affairs will comprise former Supreme Court judge Justice Anil R Dave, former Chief Election Commissioner Dr S.Y Quraishi, and former Secretary of Ministry of External Affairs Vikas Swarup. Additionally, Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra, world championship medallist Anju Bobby George and Olympian Bombayla Devi will be the consultant sportspersons. Each member of the CoA will receive an honorarium of Rs 3 lakh per month while each of the consultant sportspersons will get Rs 1.5 lakh, the court said.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

First 3D-Printed Human Cornea in India Developed by LVPEI, CCMB and IIT Hyderabad

• Researchers in Hyderabad have successfully 3D-printed an artificial cornea (3D-printed Human Cornea) and placed it in a rabbit eye for the first time ever in India. A 3D-printed Human cornea made from human donor corneal tissue has been created by researchers from the L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI), Indian Institute of Technology-Hyderabad (IIT-H), and the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB).
• The product (3D-printed Human Cornea) was created locally with support from the government and philanthropic organisations; it is entirely natural, free of synthetic ingredients, and safe for patients to use.
• This hydrogel served as the foundation material for the 3D-printed Human Cornea.
• The 3D-printed Human Cornea is biocompatible, natural, and free of animal byproducts because it is made of components derived from human corneal tissue.
• Leading researchers from LVPEI, Dr. Sayan Basu and Dr. Vivek Singh, stated that 3D-printed human cornea might be a game-changing and revolutionary innovation in the treatment of conditions including Keratoconus and corneal scarring.

 APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Government reappoints four independent directors on RBI central board

• Satish Kashinath Marathe, Swaminathan Gurumurthy, Revathy Iyer, and Sachin Chaturvedi have all been renominated by the national government to serve as part-time, non-official directors on the RBI’s central board or central board of the Reserve Bank of India. The RBI said on its website that Gurumurthy and Marathe have been renominated for another term of four years, until further instructions for RBI’s central board.
• After the RBI’s central board current terms expire on September 18, 2022, Iyer and Chaturvedi have been renominated for another four years.
• Anand Mahindra, the chairman of the Mahindra & Mahindra group, Venu Srinivasan, Pankaj Patel, the chairman of Zydus Lifesciences, and Ravindra Dholakia, a former member of the Monetary Policy Committee, were nominated by the government in June to serve as part-time non-official directors on the RBI’s central board.

Simon Stiell Appointed New UNFCCC Executive Secretary

• UN Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Simon Stiell as the new Executive Secretary of the United Nations Climate Change Secretariat based in Bonn, Germany. The appointment has been endorsed by the Bureau of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
• Simon Stiell served as a senior minister in the Government of Grenada holding the portfolios of Minister for Climate Resilience and the Environment for five years.
• He also served as Minister for Education and Human Resource Development, Minister of State with responsibility for Human Resource Development and the Environment, and as a junior minister within the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.
• Stiell served as a member of Grenada’s Upper House of Parliament, the Senate, where he held the position of Leader of Government’s Business throughout this period.

About UNFCCC:

Signatories: 165

Depositary: Secretary-General of the United Nations

Effective: 21 March 1994

Signed: 4–14 June 1992; 20 June 1992 – 19 June 1993

Drafted: 9 May 1992

Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; New York, United States

11 sworn in as Additional Judges at Punjab and Haryana High Court

• The government of India has notified the appointments of another 11 High Court Judges in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The appointments include the names Nidhi Gupta, Sanjay Vashisth, Tribhuvan Dahiya, Namit Kumar, Harkesh Manuja, Aman Chaudhary, Naresh Singh, Harsh Bunger, Jagmohan Bansal, Deepak Manchanda and Alok Jain.
• The Punjab and Haryana High Court are currently functioning with just 46 judges against the sanctioned strength of 85 with around a dozen of the 46 judges set to retire in the next two years. With the appointment of new additional judges, the number of judges will rise to 57. On 13th August 2022, the govt had appointed 26 High Court Judges in the High Courts of Allahabad, Andhra, Telangana, Gauhati, Orissa, and Himachal Pradesh.

 AWARDS & RECOGNITION

London home of Dadabhai Naoroji gets Blue Plaque honour

• London home of Dadabhai Naoroji will get a ‘Blue Plaque’, an honour that is reserved for notable personalities who have lived and worked in London. Naoroji was the first Asian who was elected as a Member of Parliament in Britain. The Blue Plaque scheme, run by the English Heritage charity, honours the historic significance of particular buildings across London. Naoroji’s plaque was unveiled to coincide with the 75th-anniversary celebrations of Indian Independence.
• Naoroji often referred to as the “grand old man of India”, is reported to have moved to Washington House, 72 Anerley Park, Penge, Bromley, at a time when his thoughts were turning increasingly towards full independence for India in 1897. That red-brick home now has a plaque which reads: “Dadabhai Naoroji 1825-1917 Indian Nationalist and MP lived here”.
• The Blue Plaque was erected at the homes of Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Mahatma Gandhi, Sri Aurobindo, Jawaharlal Nehru, and BR Ambedkar among others. Gandhi’s house was commemorated with the Blue Plaque in 1986. India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s home at 60 Elgin Crescent, Notting Hill received the Blue Plaque in 1989.

About England:

Queen: Queen Elizabeth

Prime minister: Boris Johnson

 Capital: London

Currency: Pound sterling

 BANKING AND ECONOMY

Karnataka Bank introduces new term deposit scheme

• On the occasion of 75 years of Independence as Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, Karnataka Bank has introduced a new Term Deposit Scheme, KBL Amrit Samriddhi under Abhyudaya Cash Certificate (ACC) and Fixed Deposit for a tenure of 75 weeks (525 days). The interest rate for this Deposit Scheme is 6.10% per annum. Karnataka Bank, portraying the rich patriotic tradition and values, has always been ready to meet the aspirations and dreams of its valued patrons. With the new product, KBL Amrit Samriddhi, Bank extends the benefit of the increase in the interest rates to our customers.
• Currently, the bank offers a 5.50% interest rate on fixed deposits below ₹2 crores to the general public, while the rate is 5.65% for tenure above 2 years to 5 years, and the rate is 5.70% on maturity period for above 5 years and up to 10 years. The rate varies from 3.40% to 5% on short-term tenures between 7 days to 364 days. These rates are the same for FDs from ₹2 crore to ₹50 crores.
• Meanwhile, the bank offers a 5.90% rate to senior citizens on deposits below ₹2 crore for a tenure of 1 year to 2 Years, while the rate is 6.05% and 6.20% on maturity period above 2 years to 5 years and above 5 years up to 10 years.

About Karnataka Bank:

Headquarters: Mangaluru

CEO: Mahabaleshwara M. S

Founded: 18 February 1924