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Headlines:

1. I&B Ministry Announces Merger of Film Media Units with NFDC
2. Highlights of Nepalese PM Sher Bahadur Deuba visit to India
3. Tata Power commissioned 300 MW Solar Plant in Dholera, Gujarat- India’s largest single-axis tracker system
4. BEZA signs deal with Adani group for Indian Economic Zone in Chattogram, Bangladesh
5. SBI Signs MoU with The BSF to Provide Curated Benefits
6. Aegon Life and Ahalia Finforex Partners to Offer Insurance Cover to Unserved Segment
7. India’s FY23 GDP Growth Estimated at 7.4%: FICCI Economic Outlook Survey
8. Journalist Aarefa Johari wins Chameli Devi Jain Award for 2021
9. 64th Annual GRAMMY Awards(2022): Jon Batiste and Olivia Rodrigo Wins Top Honours
10. Viktor Orban Wins a Fourth Consecutive Term as Hungary’s Prime Minister
11. HDFC Ltd to merge with HDFC Bank by FY24
12. Axis Bank to Acquire CitiBank’s India Consumer Business for $1.6 bn
13. Canara Bank, SBI, PNB & Union Bank Reduced their Stake in IDRCL to 5%
14. Union Minister Anurag Thakur launches New Rare Chemical Reference Materials to strengthen Anti-Doping Testing
15. Meenakshi Lekhi Unveiled ‘Temple 360’ Portal to Offer e-darshan at Pilgrimage Centres
16. Australian Women’s Cricket Team Were Crowned As The Champions Of 2022 ICC Women’s Cricket
17. Adidas Unveiled ‘Al Rihla’ The Official Ball For 2022 Qatar FIFA World Cup
18. A Book titled Decoding Indian Babudom by Ashwini Shrivastava Launched
19. International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action 2022 – April 4
20. Indian Army Celebrates 258th Raising Day of Army Medical Corps – 3 April 2022
21. Assam Cabinet approves MoU with French agency for biodiversity conservation among others

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

I&B Ministry Announces Merger of Film Media Units with NFDC
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has transferred the mandate for the production of documentaries and short films, the organization of film festivals and the preservation of films to
the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) working under the ministry.

This resulted in the merger of the four film media units, including the Films Division, the Directorate of Film Festivals, the National Film Archives of India (NFAI) and the Children’s Film Society of India under the NFDC.
• This step is a move towards reducing the overlap of various activities and ensuring better utilization of public resources by bringing all these activities under a single management.
The Central Government has also designated Rs. 1304.52 crore till 2026 for film production and preservation, film festivals, and providing financial incentives for audio-visual productions with foreign countries, which will be managed by the NFDC through its Film Facilitation Office.
Key Points:
i. The ownership of the assets available with these units will remain with the Central government. ii.The Films Division, established in 1948, was the first state film production and distribution unit to produce documentaries and news magazines for publicity of government programmes and cinematic representation of Indian history.
• Its mandate has been completely transferred to the NFDC with effect from April 1, 2022. The Production Vertical for the Production of Documentaries in the NFDC will be named “Films Division.”
iii. The Directorate of Film Festivals was set up by the Centre to organize national and international film festivals and the National Film Awards.
• Some of the major upcoming film festivals to be organized by the NFDC are the Mumbai International Film Festival, the International Film Festival of India at Goa, and the Children’s Film Festival.
iv. Children’s Film Society India was entrusted with the production of children’s films and television programmes in Indian languages under the central government.
v. The National Film Archive of India was established as a media unit to acquire and preserve cinema and to classify, document, and undertake research related to films.
vi. National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) is the central agency for film financing, production, and distribution under MIB. It already has the mandate of producing feature films.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

BEZA signs deal with Adani group for Indian Economic Zone in Chattogram, Bangladesh
The Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) signed a non-binding agreement called term-sheet with Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited (APSEZ Ltd.,) in Mumbai,Maharashtra to establish
an Indian Economic Zone under the government-to- government (G2G) engagement in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar (BSMSN) in Mirsarai of Chattogram, Bangladesh.

i. The Indian Economic Zone will provide a range of facilities for Indian investors in Bangladesh.
ii. The agreement was the follow up of June 2015 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish an Indian economic zone.
iii. The Indian Economic Zone is being built on 857 acres of land with an estimated cost of Taka 964 crore supported by an Indian Line of Credit worth USD 115 million.
iv. The project involves land development, construction of connecting roads, security system, water supply, telecommunication, and water treatment plant facilities for the Indian companies investing in Bangladesh.
v.Among the Government to Government economic zones being set up in Bangladesh, the Indian Economic Zone is going to be the second largest one after the Japanese Economic Zone.

About Bangladesh:
Capital – Dhaka
Currency – Bangladeshi taka
President – Abdul Hamid
Prime minister –Sheikh Hasina Wazed
About Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited of India(APSEZ Ltd): Managing Director – Rajesh Adani
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Karan Adani

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Journalist Aarefa Johari wins Chameli Devi Jain Award for 2021
A journalist from Mumbai, Aarefa Johari was awarded with the Chameli Devi Jain Award for an Outstanding Woman Mediaperson 2021. It was announced by the Media Foundation.

• Aarefa Johari works for ‘Scroll.in’ in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• In 2020, Neetu Singh got this award. She is associated with ‘Goan Connection’ media house.
• Jury – Nirupama Subramania, Githa Hariharan and Ashutosh
About Chameli Devi Jain Award:
i. It is the annual prestigious recognition in the field of Journalism for women media persons journalist in India who have reported on themes such as social development, politics, equity, gender justice, health, war and conflict, and consumer values.
ii. Chameli Devi Jain was a freedom fighter and a community reformer. She became the first Jain woman to go to prison during India’s independence struggle.
iii. The award was instituted in 1980 by Verghese and the family of Chameli Devi.
Instituted-1981

SPORTS

Australian Women’s Cricket Team Were Crowned As The Champions Of 2022 ICC Women’s Cricket
The 12th edition of the ICC (International Cricket Council) Women’s Cricket World Cup was held in New Zealand from March to April 2022. In which the Australian women’s cricket team were crowned as the champions of the 2022 ICC Women’s Cricket by defeating England women’s cricket team in the finals by 71 runs in Hagley Oval, Christchurch, New Zealand.

• The Australian women’s team was awarded 1.32 million United States Dollar (USD) and the Runner-up team (England women’s team) won USD 600,000.
• The Australian women’s team wins ICC world cup for the 7th time, most by any women’s cricket team.
Performer Of The Tournament:
i. Alyssa Healy (Australia) has been named as the ‘Player of the Tournament’ for scoring 509 runs in 9 matches, she is the first player to score 500-plus runs in a single edition of the Women’s One-Day International (ODI) World Cup.
• Rachael Haynes (Australia) scored 497 runs in this tournament, which is the second-highest tally in a 2022 Women’s World Cup.
ii. Also, Alyssa Healy has been named as the player of the match for scoring 170 runs off 138 balls and it stands as the highest score in the final of any ICC Cricket World Cup (in both men’s or women’s) surpassing Adam Gilchrist’s (Australia) 149 runs vs Sri Lanka in 2007.
iii. Sophie Ecclestone (England) was named as the highest wicket-taker for claiming 21 wickets in 9 matches.
Records In The 2022 ICC (International Cricket Council) Women’s World Cup:
i. Alyssa Healy became the first cricketer in history to score a century in the semi-final and final of the same World Cup.
ii. It is the fifth time (2022, 2005, 1997, 1982 and 1978) that the Australian women’s team have lifted the trophy staying undefeated throughout the tournament.
Records By Indian women’s cricket team:
i.Jhulan Goswami (Bowler) of India became the highest wicket-taker in the World Cup Tournament bagging overall of 43 wickets.Indian bowler Jhulan Goswami achieved this with 40 wickets in 31 matches, beating Australia’s Lyn Fullston’s 39 wickets in Women World cup tournaments.
ii. Indian women’s team ODI skipper Mithali Raj broke the record for most matches captained (24 matches) in the ICC Women’s World Cup, surpassing former Australian counterpart Belinda Clark (23 matches).
iii. Mithali Raj became the third cricketer (including men’s and women’s) and the first woman to play in 6 ODI World Cups.

BANKING & FINANCE

SBI Signs MoU with The BSF to Provide Curated Benefits
The State Bank of India (SBI) and the Border Security Force (BSF) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide special benefits to serving and retired BSF personnel, as well as family pensioners, through the Central Armed Police Salary Package (CAPSP) Scheme.
This partnership intends to benefit and provide financial security for BSF personnel and their families by providing a variety of specialized benefits through CAPSP, which ensures that they and their family have easy access to banking services.
Features of the MoU:
i. The MoU ensures extensive benefits for the security forces, including complimentary Personal and Air Accidental Insurance (Death) Cover, additional cover in case of on-duty death, and Permanent Total Disability/Partial Disability Cover.
ii. The MoU will support child education and the marriage of girl children of deceased BSF personnel.
iii. Retired personnel will be eligible for complimentary Personal Accidental (Death) Insurance, irrespective of age, whereas family pensioners will be eligible for a bouquet of benefits.
iv. SBI will offer a zero-balance savings bank account with a host of complimentary benefits and a waiver of service charges to the BSF personnel considering their selfless services rendered to nation building.
v. It will also provide attractive interest rates and concessions on processing charges for serving personnel on home, car, education, and Xpress Credit personal loans.

Aegon Life and Ahalia Finforex Partners to Offer Insurance Cover to Unserved Segment Aegon Life Insurance Company(Aegon Life), a digital life insurance company and Ahalia Finforex, a Kerala-based diversified financial services firm has partnered to provide life insurance access to unorganized and unserved segments residing in tier 2, tier 3, and tier 4 towns.