Current Affairs for BANK, IBPS Exams - 18 August 2021

::NATIONAL::

Student Entrepreneurship Program 3.0 : Key Points

Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) NITI Aayog in collaboration with La FondationDassaultSystemes (DassaultSystemes Foundation) in India on Monday launched the third series of the ‘Student Entrepreneurship Program’ (SEP 3.0) for the young innovators of Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL).
The theme of SEP 3.0 is based on the ‘Made in 3D - Seed the Future Entrepreneurs Program’, conceptualized and rolled out in France by La Main à la Pate Foundation and La FondationDassaultSystemes Europe in 2017.
As part of this program, a team from each school (6 students and a teacher) will be allocated seed funding towards creating pseudo start-up, design and prototype their innovation using 3D printing, prepare marketing campaign, define product pricing and create expansion strategy. With this they will receive real feel of ‘How a startup works!’. At the end of the program, each school’s pseudo startup will participate in a playful competition and present their marketing campaign in front of experts from industry and academia.
Keeping the essence of the program in mind, SEP3.0 will allow student innovators to work closely with DassaultSystemes Foundation volunteers and gain - Mentoring support, Prototyping and testing guidance, End-User feedback, guidance on Intellectual Property Rights, by working as pseudo start-ups through a hands-on and structured program.
A total of 51 teams from 29 states are selected for the “Made in 3D - Seed the Future Entrepreneurs Program’ under SEP 3.0. Top 20 teams of ATL Marathon 2019, 10 teams selected by DassaultSystemes Foundation, 10 teams from Aspirational Districts and 10 teams from Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh and North east regions are selected. Out of these 16 schools will have ‘all girls’ teams to motive them to be future women entrepreneurs.

Printed Study Materials for IBPS, SBI Bank Exam

::International::

Opposition leader HakendeHichilema elected new president: Zambia

Zambia incumbent president Edgar Lungu don congratulate president-elect of the kontriHakaindeHichilemaon e victory for last week polls.
Lungu for live broadcast tok say: "I go like to congratulate my brother HakaindeHichilema for being elected as di 7th president of mother Zambia".
After e lose elections five times, Zambia opposition leader HakaindeHichilema win di 2021 elections.
Im bin face e long time rival Lunguwey claim say di elections bin no dey free and fair after he lose votes for some of e traditional strongholds.
Im say dem chase election officials from e Patriotic Front party comot from polling stations, come leave dia votes unprotected.
Di electoral commission declare businessman HakaindeHichilema president elect after three days of counting votes.
Champagne bin dey flow as celebrations start for di election results centre and for di streets of di capital Lusaka.

::Economy::

RBI unveiled the Financial Inclusion Index, the Financial Inclusion Index for the period ending March 2021 is 53.9

The first reading of Reserve Bank of India (RBI)’s annual Financial Inclusion Index (FI-Index) for the period ending March 2021 has come in at 53.9 as compared to 43.4 for the period ending March 2017. The RBI had announced the index in its monetary policy statement in April 2021 to capture the extent of financial inclusion in India.
The index captures information on various aspects of financial inclusion in a single value ranging between 0 and 100, where 0 represents complete financial exclusion and 100 indicates full financial inclusion.
It is a comprehensive index which incorporates details of banking, investments, insurance, postal and the pension sector in consultation with government and respective sectoral regulators. The FI-Index, constructed without any base year, primarily comprises three broad parameters, which are access, usage and quality.
Their weights are 35 per cent, 45 per cent and 20 per cent, respectively. Each of these consist of several dimensions which are then computed into different indicators. The FI-Index will be published annually in July every year.

HDFC Unveils 'Green and Sustainable' Fixed Deposits

The country’s largest mortgage lender, HDFC Ltd, on Monday launched a “green and sustainable” deposits programme for retail clients, funds from which will be used to finance sustainable housing credit solutions and services.
In a statement, HDFC Ltd said individuals can earn interest at 6.55 per cent on their deposits, whose period can range from 3-10 years. Also, senior citizens will be eligible for an additional 0.25 per cent per annum on their deposits of up to Rs 2 crore. Further, an additional interest rate of 0.1 per cent per annum will be applicable on these deposits up to Rs 50 lakh if the deposits are made through the company’s online platform.
Typically, HDFC Ltd offers 6.65 per cent interest rates on normal deposits. So, people who want to opt for “green and sustainable” deposits will get 10 basis points lower in terms of return on deposits, which translates to Rs 100 on a deposit of Rs 1 lakh.
According to Bankbazaar. com, among NBFCs, Shriram City Union Finance offers one of the highest interest rates on fixed deposits of 7.25-9.73 per cent for tenure ranging from 1-5 years for deposits less than Rs 2 crore, followed by PNB Housing Finance (5.9-6.7 per cent), and ICICI Home Finance (5.7-6.7 per cent).
Deepak Parekh, chairman, HDFC Ltd, said the company anticipated growing demand for green solutions and has hence launched a green and sustainable deposits offering for customers, so that they can grow their wealth while contributing to serve the needs of a changing world.

::Science and tech::

INS Tabar participated in Exercise Konkan 2021

The Indian Navy’s Talwar-class frigate, INS Tabar, is taking part in exercises with the British Royal Navy.
It is currently docked into Portsmouth harbour and started the annual bilateral exercise Konkan 2021 on 12 August.
The frigate conducted a maritime interception exercise with the Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigate HMS Westminster off Portsmouth.
Exercise Konkan 2021 will be continued between INS Tabar and HMS Westminster after the departure of the former from Portsmouth.
On entering the harbour, the Final Planning Conference for Exercise Konkan 2021 was held in non-contact form between the Ops Teams of Tabar and Westminster.
Royal Navy fleet commander vice-admiral Jerry Kyd said: “I am delighted to be visiting INS Tabar while she is alongside in Portsmouth, and grateful for the opportunity to meet with the High Commissioner.
“The Royal Navy enjoys a mutually beneficial relationship with our Indian colleagues, and one which runs deep and is highly valued.
“A recent engagement encompassing ten ships and two submarines in the Bay of Bengal is a fantastic example of the level of cooperation between our two nations at sea.”
::Sports::

RaunakSadhwani wins 2021 Spilimbergo Open Chess Tournament

Young Indian Grandmaster RaunakSadhwani, 15, on Sunday emerged winner in the 19th Spilimbergo Open chess tournament here with seven points from nine rounds.
Sadhwani (Elo 2579) remained undefeated in the tourney, notching up five wins and four draws. Seeded fourth, the Indian faced five GMs in the event and beat Oskar Wieczorek of Poland and drew his games against the four others.
His wins came against Italian JoshuaedeCappelletto, AronPasti of Hungary, LoreznoLodici of Italy and France’s LoicTravadon.