Current Affairs for BANK, IBPS Exams - 21 September 2021

::National::

India has improved its ranking in the latest Global Innovation Index (GII), moving up two positions to 46, the 2021 report released Monday showed. India has seen a rising trajectory over the past several years, improving its rank significantly from 81 in 2015.
“The consistent improvement in the GII ranking is owing to the immense knowledge capital, the vibrant start-up ecosystem, and the amazing work done by the public and the private research organizations,” NitiAayog, the government’s think tank, said in a statement.
Switzerland topped the league table, followed by Sweden, the US and the UK, said the report by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Among Asian economies, South Korea jumped to the fifth position, up from 10 last year. China was in the 12th position.
India attributed its improved performance due to the pivotal role played by the Department of Atomic Energy, the Department of Science and Technology, the Department of Biotechnology and the Department of Space.

Every September, people come together from all around the world to raise awareness and to challenge the stigma that persists around dementia. September 2021 marks the 10th year of this vital global awareness raising campaign.
21 September also marks World Alzheimer’s Day. For ADI, World Alzheimer’s Day typically coincides with the launch of our World Alzheimer Report. In 2021, our report will focus on diagnosis.
This year’s campaign will shine a light on the warning signs of dementia, encouraging people to seek out information, advice and support, as well as contacting the Alzheimer’s or dementia association in their country.
It is only through a truly global effort that we can raise much needed awareness and challenge the stigma and misinformation that still surrounds dementia, and we are calling on everyone to do something during September, however small or large, through our campaign ‘Know Dementia, Know Alzheimer’s’.

HDFC Bank will work with Paytm to offer co-branded credit cards on the Visa platform to businesspersons, millennials and others, said the lender.
This tie-up will see the lender leverage its position as the leading credit card-issuer and its expertise in superior customer engagement to offer services to Paytm’s large customer base of 330 million, thus enabling a deeper penetration in Tier II and III cities, accelerating the adoption of digital payments.
The credit cards will be launched in October during the festive season to tap into the high consumer demand for credit cards, equated monthly installments (EMIs), and buy now pay later (BNPL) options and the full suite of products will be offered by the end of December 2021.
In a statement, the bank said, the credit cards will be customised to meet distinct needs of retail customers, from new-to-credit users to affluent users, and offer one of the best-in-class rewards and cashback for users. The new cards offer will also facilitate small business owners.

Indian Railways has come up with an attractive tour package for people of Madhya Pradesh interested in visiting various temples of South India. The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) will run a special train from Indore starting from November 27 for South India Darshan. The bookings for the train have already started on the official website of IRCTC (www.irctctourism.com).
According to the IRCTC, the tour spanning 10 days and nine nights will include visits to the temples of Mallikarjuna, Tirupati, Rameswaram, Madurai and Kanyakumari. The IRCTC has kept the fare at Rs 15,750 per person for the AC class, and Rs 9,450 per person for the sleeper class. The train will have five sleeper and as many 3rd AC coaches.
Travellers can board the train from Indore, Dewas, Ujjain, Shujalpur, Sehore, Habibganj, Hoshangabad, Itarsi and Betul stations of Madhya Pradesh.
Meanwhile, the IRCTC has also started India’s first indigenous cruise liner. The IRCTC has joined hands with Cordelia Cruises, a private company for expanding its premium travel options to the public. The cruiseliner tours began from September 18. The cruiseliner tour packages will cover some domestic and international tourist destinations including Mumbai, Goa, Lakshwdeep, Kerala and Sri Lanka among others.

Hyderabad’s promising R Raja Rithvik became chess Grandmaster after he crossed the ELO Rating of 2500. The 17-year-old achieved this GM title in Vezerkepzo Grandmaster Chess Tournament at Budapest, Hungary. He thus became the 70th Grandmaster from the country.
Going into the tournament with 2496 points and needing just four points for the GM title, Rithvik, who is a 12th class student of Bhavan’s Sri Ramakrishna Vidyalaya, Sainikpuri, achieved 5 ELO points in 4 rounds and got live rating of 2501. In the 4th round, playing with white pieces Raja Rithvik defeated FIDE Master Finek Vaclav of Czechoslovakia in 57 moves and reached the live rating of 2501.