Current Affairs for BANK, IBPS Exams - 10 June 2022

::National::

Govt launches Rashtriya Puruskar Portal for inviting nominations for various awards to ensure transparency and public partnership

The Union Government has launched the Rashtriya Puruskar Portal for inviting nominations for various awards of the various Ministries, Departments and agencies to ensure transparency and public partnership. This common portal has been developed by the government to bring together all the awards under one digital platform.
The Portal aims to facilitate citizens to nominate individuals and organizations for various awards instituted by the Government of India.
Ministry of Home Affairs in a statement today said, presently nominations and recommendations for Padma Awards are open till the 15th of September this year for Sardar Patel National Unity Awards, nominations will be open till the 31st of next month.
Nomination for Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award will remain open till the 16th of this month and nomination for Jeevan Raksha Padak series of Awards will be open till 30th of September this year.

Printed Study Materials for IBPS, SBI Bank Exam

::International::

America's 9th Summit is being held in Los Angeles (USA)

The United States is hosting the Ninth Summit of the Americas this week in Los Angeles, California with a focus on “Building a Sustainable, Resilient, and Equitable Future” for our hemisphere.
As the only hemispheric meeting of leaders from the countries of the Americas, the Summit serves as the most important forum to address our region’s shared challenges and opportunities. The Ninth Summit marks the first time the United States has hosted the event since the inaugural meeting in Miami in 1994. It is President Biden’s highest priority event for the region.
The people of the Americas want – and deserve – effective and accountable governance that delivers. The road to the Ninth Summit will map our collective route towards a sustainable, resilient, and equitable future.
As Chair and Host, the United States will work with the region’s stakeholders toward securing leader-level commitments and concrete actions that dramatically improve pandemic response and resilience, promote a green and equitable recovery, build strong and inclusive democracies, and address the root causes of irregular migration. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion will underpin our efforts.

::Economy::

Nirmala Sitharaman launched EASE (Enhanced Access and Service Excellence) 5.0 'Common Reforms Agenda' for Public Sector Banks (PSBs)

Enhanced Access and Service Excellence-EASE on Wednesday has evolved over four annual editions from FY19 to FY22 and has catalyzed reforms in diverse areas in Public Sector Banks.
EASE 5.0 'Common reforms agenda' of EASENext program has been developed for Public Sector Banks and was launched through video-conferencing by the Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi on Wednesday.
The event was attended virtually by Managing Directors and CEOs, and other senior executives of Public Sector Banks.
Sanjay Malhotra, Secretary, Department of Financial Services, in his opening remarks mentioned," All PSBs are now profitable and have stronger balance sheets, it is imperative that PSBs leverage this position of strength to significantly increase their competitiveness".
He mentioned about PSB Manthan, 2022 which was organized in April, 2022 with functional heads of Public Sector Banks that paved the way for the genesis of a broader and bolder program - EASENext - would comprise 2 major initiatives: EASE 5.0 (common PSB reforms agenda) and Bank specific strategic 3-year roadmap (based on individual bank's business priorities).
Under EASE 5.0, PSBs will continue to invest in new-age capabilities and deepen the ongoing reforms to respond to evolving customer needs, changing competition and the technology environment. EASE 5.0 will focus on digital customer experience, and integrated & inclusive banking, with emphasis on supporting small businesses and agriculture.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurates Mega Exhibition on Nation Building and Central Public Sector Enterprises in Gandhinagar, Gujarat

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today inaugurated a Mega exhibition- on Nation Building and Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar Gujarat. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel also remained present on the occasion.
The event has been organized as part of ongoing celebrations of Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav. During the visit, the Minister was apprised of various key initiatives of CPSEs and their contributions towards nation-building.
During this four-day exhibition, participating CPSEs will showcase their contribution to the development of the country for achieving Atma Nirbhar Bharat. Earlier, the Joint Secretary of the Department of Public Enterprises- DPEs Sanjay Kumar Jain said that about 75 CPSEs are participating in this exhibition.
Some CPSEs including NTPC and BEL will inaugurate activity relating to conversion of their townships - at Solapur and Bengaluru- as mini smart cities. These townships will be part of 27 townships belonging to 15 CPSEs that are being converted into mini smart cities.

::Science and tech::

What is NASA's DAVINCI Mission?

NASA's DAVINCI mission to Venus will carry a dime-sized, student-built sensor to study the planet's near-surface environment.
The DAVINCI (Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gasses, Chemistry, and Imaging) mission, which is slated to launch in 2029, aims to investigate Venus' atmosphere-climate system and shed new light on the scorching planet's potentially habitable past. It is the first Venus mission that will use both spacecraft flybys and a descent probe.
The miniature sensor, called the Venus Oxygen Fugacity (VfOx) instrument, will be mounted on the outside of the spacecraft's Descent Sphere, the probe that will enter Venus' atmosphere. The sensor will be designed, built, tested and operated by students as a part of the mission's Student Collaboration Experiment, according to a statement from NASA.
The spacecraft will perform two flybys of Venus before its probe plunges through the planet's dense atmosphere about two years after launch. The probe is expected to take measurements of clouds and ultraviolet absorption on the Venusian dayside, along with measurements of heat emanating from the planet's surface on the nightside. The probe will also ingest and analyze gasses in the planet's atmosphere while capturing images of its descent to an area known as Alpha Regio, which is composed largely of rugged, mountainous terrain called tessera.
As the probe nears Venus' surface, it will measure the partial pressure of oxygen, known as oxygen fugacity, in the planet's deep atmosphere. Scientists can then compare this information with measurements of oxygen captured in rocks on Venus' surface to better understand the planet's mountainous terrain, which has never been visited by a spacecraft, according to the statement.

::Sports::

Mithali Raj announces retirement

Mithali Raj has brought the curtain down on her storied career, announcing her decision to "retire from all forms of International Cricket" in a message on Twitter.
Raj, 39, wrote, "I feel now is the perfect time to call curtains on my playing career as the team is in the capable hands of some very talented young players and the future of Indian Cricket is bright."
Though she didn't give any concrete indicators on what her future plans were, she did say that she would stay connected with the game. "Each time I stepped on the field, I gave my very best with the intent to help India win. I will always cherish the opportunity given to me to represent the tricolour," she wrote. "It was an honour to have led the team for so many years. It definitely shaped me as a person & hopefully helped shape Indian Women's Cricket as well.
"This journey may have ended but another one beckons as I'd love to stay involved in the game I love and contribute to the growth of Women's Cricket in India and world over."