Current Affairs for BANK, IBPS Exams - 14 March 2022

::National::

Mix modern science, indigenous wisdom to mitigate climate crisis

Climate change is altering our planet irreversibly. Yet, rarely do we get the opportunity to talk to people whose everyday lives are viscerally tied to nature. Last week, I met with Keith Wolfe Smarch, a 60-year-old indigenous carver and hunter in the Canada’s Yukon territory.
The wise man talked about mice. During the last few years, temperatures have started shifting from high to low rapidly, which forces the snow on top to melt and freeze back into ice. The mice continue to feed under the snow, but under a sheath of ice. Many don’t even survive.
Nor do the iconic Great Grey Owls, who prey on mice. With the new ice layer, they can no longer hear the mice, as they once did, under the snow. And if they discern dinner, they can’t break the ice to serve themselves. The numbers of both the owls and the mice have dropped, Keith says. Till five years ago, he’d hear the birds hoot all night. Now, its down to a few times a year.
That’s only one story, but it underscores how little we listen to and amplify indigenous knowledge and observations around climate change. Science is key, but it doesn’t capture every shift.
If we respected, learned from and combined both kinds of knowledge, we stand a better chance to adapt, if not somewhat mitigate the climate crisis. India is lucky to be populated by so many communities who can offer us this knowledge. We must grab this opportunity and learn from them.

Printed Study Materials for IBPS, SBI Bank Exam

::International::

Russia seeks military equipment from China after Ukraine invasion: Reports

Russia has asked China for military equipment since its Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, the Financial Times and Washington Post reported, citing US officials.
US National Security advisor Jake Sullivan will be in Rome on Monday to meet with China's top diplomat Yang Jiechi, the White House said earlier.
Russia, which calls its action in Ukraine a "special operation," and China have tightened cooperation as they have come under strong Western pressure over human rights and a raft of other issues.
Beijing has not condemned Russia's attack and does not call it an invasion, but has urged a negotiated solution.
The White House's National Security Council declined to comment.
The Washington Post said the unidentified US officials did not state the kind of weaponry that had been requested or how China had responded.

::Economy::

RBI lifts all restrictions on HDFC Bank's new digital launches

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has lifted the restrictions imposed on HDFC Bank regarding its business generating activities planned under the Digital 2.0 programme, the lender said.
“We would like to inform one and all that the RBI has lifted the restriction on the business generating activities planned under the bank’s Digital 2.0 programme, vide its letter dated March 11, 2022," the bank said in a stock exchange filing.
In December 2020, RBI had directed HDFC Bank to temporarily halt all digital launches as well as new sourcing of credit card customers, following various outages the bank faced due to technical glitches in the past two years. The RBI action came after the bank's customers faced a number of incidents of outages in internet banking, mobile banking, and payment utilities of the bank over the past two years.
Last year, in August, RBI had partially lifted the ban on HDFC Bank by allowing it to issue new credit cards but had continued the embargo on its digital activities planned under Digital 2.0 programme.
“We are fully committed to ensuring continued adherence to the highest standards of compliance with RBI recommendations," the bank said.

HDFC Bank says RBI has lifted all curbs on bank's new digital launches

Private lender HDFC Bank on Saturday said RBI has lifted all restrictions placed on the bank.
"We would like to inform one and all that the Reserve Bank of India has lifted the restriction on the business generating activities planned under the Bank’s Digital 2.0 programme," HDFC Bank said in a stock exchange filing.
In September 2021, RBI had lifted restrictions on HDFC Bank on issuing new credit cards.
In December 2020, the RBI had barred HDFC Bank from launching any new digital products or services and issuing new credit cards till the lender resolved recurring tech issues.

::Science and tech::

Chernobyl Nuclear Plant restored: Ukraine tells IAEA

Ukraine says it has restored Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) four days after they were completely lost at the Russian-controlled site, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said in a statement.
The Director-General received the news from the head of Ukraine's nuclear power company Energoatom, Petro Kotin, who told him that the specialists had fixed one of two damaged lines and would now be able to deliver all required off-site power to the NPP, where various radioactive waste management facilities are located following the 1986 accident.
Ukraine's regulator separately informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that the power supply line was restored at 18:38 CET by the repair personnel of Ukrenergo, the country's transmission system operator. The Chornobyl NPP continues to work on backup diesel generators and will be reconnected to the Ukrainian electricity grid in the morning, the statement said.
Earlier, the agency also informed that Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia NPP which is also under the control of Russia is not in a position to deliver the necessary spare parts, equipment, and specialized personnel to carry out planned repairs.
While Ukraine is reporting all the problems related to Chornobyl NPP, indicating NPP is in danger, Russia on other hand, denied all Ukraine's claims that the Chernobyl NPP is in danger after being captured by Russian forces.
On March 3, Ukraine informed the IAEA that Russian forces had taken the control of the site of the country's Zaporizhzhia NPP.

::Sports::

LakshyaSen loses to Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn in German Open final

After his sensational fightback against Olympic champion Viktor Axelson, there was high hope of LakshyaSen producing another in the German Open final on Sunday. But that never came to fruition. Against Thailand’s KunlavutVitidsarn, Sen raised hopes whenever he picked a clutch of points but could not sustain the intensity to lose 21-18, 21-15.
After losing the first game, Sen was staring down a 11-6 deficit in the second. It was here that the young Indian started to stitch together points by taking control of the rallies and choosing his attacking options smartly. But Vitidsarn was on guard. He never let Sensettle down.