Banking Current Affairs : 19th July 2024

Today’s Current Affairs: 19th July 2024 for SSC CGL, State SSC, RRB, Railways, Banking Exam & IBPS, etc

ICAR Launches ‘One Scientist One Product’, to Enhance Target-Oriented Research in Agriculture & Animal Husbandry:

• The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) launched a target-oriented research plan named ‘One Scientist-One Product’, aimed at enhancing research in agriculture and animal husbandry. All the 5,521 ICAR scientists have been registered under this plan.

MoD Notifies 5th Positive Indigenisation List of 346 Items for DPSUs:

• The Department of Defence Production (DDP), Ministry of Defence (MoD), has notified the 5th Positive Indigenisation List (PIL) comprising 346 items, to boost Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) in defence manufacturing and reducing imports by the Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs).
• These items, including Line Replacement Units (LRUs), Systems, Sub-systems, Assemblies, Spares, Components and raw material related to the defence platforms, have an import substitution value of Rs 1,048 crore.

India sees 163% Growth in Electronic Waste Generation from 2010-2022: UNCTAD Report:

• The United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD) released the ‘2024 Digital Economy Report: Shaping an Environmentally Sustainable and Inclusive Digital Future’.
• According to the report, A record 62 million tonnes(Mt) of e-waste was produced in 2022, up 82% from 2010.
• Around 0.668 mt of e-waste generated in India in 2022.
• It highlights India’s 163% growth in electronic waste from Screens, Computers, and Small IT and Telecommunication Equipment (SCSIT) from 2010 to 2022, doubling its global share from 3.1% to 6.4%.

BBVA and IFC Launch World’s First Biodiversity Bond to Combat Biodiversity Loss:

• Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria(BBVA) Colombia and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) launched the world’s first biodiversity bond which will amount to USD70 million, aiming to combat biodiversity loss.
• In this regard, the initial tranche of USD15 million was issued by BBVA Colombia.

Axis Bank Completed Migration of Citibank Customers to its Platform:

• Axis Bank officially completed Citibank’s credit card portfolio migration to its banking platform.
• This transition includes all credit card relationships and the existing Citibank credit cards will be mapped to new Axis Bank products.

IMF Raised India’s GDP Growth Forecast for FY25 to 7%; Maintains 2024 Global Growth Forecast at 3.2% warns of Inflation Risk:

• The International Monetary Fund (IMF) released ‘World Economic Outlook (WEO) Update, July 2024: The Global Economy in a Sticky Spot’.
• The report has increased India’s GDP(Gross Domestic Product) growth by 20 basis points(bps), from 6.8% (in April 2024 ) to 7% for FY25(2024-25).

Indian Scientists Prahlad Chandra Agrawal & Anil Bhardwaj received COSPAR 2024 Awards:

• Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) announced the winners of 2024 COSPAR Awards during the 45th COSPAR Scientific Assembly which is being held in Busan, South Korea from 13th to 21st July 2024.
• Two Indian Scientists Prahlad Chandra Agrawal and Anil Bhardwaj were among the winners of the 2024 COSPAR Awards.
• Prahlad Chandra Agrawal was honoured with the COSPAR Harrie Massey Award and Anil Bhardwaj was honoured with the Vikram Sarabhai Medal, a joint award of COSPAR and the Indian Space Research Organization(ISRO).

Roberta Metsola Re-elected as President of European Parliament:

• Roberta Metsola (aged 45) of European People’s Party (EPP), was re-elected as President of the European Parliament for another two and a half years, until 2027.
• With this, she became the first woman to win a second term as the President of the European Parliament, the directly elected legislative body of the European Union(EU).

UEFA Euro 2024: Spain wins 4th Euro Championship title after beating England:

• Spain won the 17th edition of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) European Football Championship, commonly referred to as ‘UEFA Euro 2024 or Euro Cup’ by defeating England (2-1) in the finals held at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, Germany.
• UEFA Euro 2024 hosted by Germany was held from 14th June to 14th July 2024.

India Beat Pakistan to Win World Championship of Legends 2024:

• Indian Champions team led by Yuvraj Singh won the inaugural edition of the World Championship Of Legends (2024) by defeating the Younis Khan-led Pakistan Champions team by five wickets during the finals held in Birmingham, England.
• The World Championship of Legends 2024, hosted by England was held from 3rd July to 13th July 2024 at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham and Northampton Stadium.

LUCA:

• In a new study, scientists have said the last universal common ancestor (LUCA) could have formed just 300 million years after the earth formed.
• Researchers believe all three branches of life namely bacteria, archaea, and eukarya originated from a single cell, called the last universal common ancestor (LUCA).

Sebi’s new asset class proposal for high-risk investors is expected to provide access to advanced strategies like long-short equity funds and inverse ETFs:

• An Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) is a type of investment fund that holds a collection of assets like stocks, bonds, or commodities and is traded on stock exchanges, much like individual stocks.

4th Periodic Review Of The ICCPR:

• India successfully concluded its 4th periodic review by the Human Rights Committee under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in Geneva.

UNEP Foresight Report 2024:

• The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released a report titled “Navigating New Horizons: A Global Foresight Report on Planetary Health and Human Wellbeing, 2024.
• 85% of the 169 SDG targets are off track and 37% of the targets have shown no progress or have regressed since 2015, as of the latest 2023 SDG Progress Report.

Common Services Centres Special Purpose Vehicle (CSC SPV) celebrated 15 glorious years of its establishment:

• Common Services Centres Special Purpose Vehicle is incorporated under the Companies Act, 1956 by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India.

Spade-Toothed Whale:

• A whale that was found dead on a beach in New Zealand recently has been identified by scientists as a spade-toothed whale, a species so rare it has never been seen alive.