Current Affairs for BANK, IBPS Exams - 25 March 2022

::National::

Pushkar Singh Dhami takes oath as Chief Minister of Uttarakhand for the second time

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and son of an ex-serviceman Pushkar Singh Dhami took oath as the chief minister of Uttarakhand for his second consecutive term at a mega swearing-in ceremony in Dehradun's Parade Ground on Wednesday. Along with him, eight cabinet ministers were also administered the oath.
Dhami was elected leader of the BJP legislature party in Uttarakhand on Monday, paving the way for his taking over the reins of the state for a second time.
The new cabinet included three new faces, including Chandan Ramdas, Premchand Agarwal and Saurabh Bahuguna. Other cabinet ministers who have been repeated include Satpal Maharaj, Dhan Singh Rawat, Rekha Arya, Ganesh Joshi and Subodh Uniyal. Prem Chand Aggarwal, who was the Speaker in the previous legislative assembly, took oath in Sanskrit.
Dhami, who lost from the Khatima constituency in the recently held Uttarakhand, led the party's poll effort as chief minister during the polls.
The results were announced on March 10, and there was speculation if he would be the chief minister for a second time.
Besides chief ministers of BJP-ruled states, Goa CM-designate Pramod Sawant, Uttar Pradesh CM-designate Yogi Adityanath and Rajasthan BJP leader Vasundhara Raje attended the swearing-in ceremony. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and other BJP leaders also attend the event.
Several names, including that of former union minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, Union minister of state for defence Ajay Bhatt, Rajya Sabha member Anil Baluni, MLA Dhan Singh Rawat and Uttarakhand Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj were doing the rounds as possible choices for chief minister.

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::International::

Pakistan Day was celebrated on 23 March

Pakistan Day (Urdu: یوم پاکستان‎, lit. Yaum-e-Pakistan) or Pakistan Resolution Day, also Republic Day, is a national holiday in Pakistan commemorating the Lahore Resolution passed on 23 March 1940 and the adoption of the first constitution of Pakistan during the transition of the Dominion of Pakistan to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on 23 March 1956 making Pakistan the world's first Islamic republic. A Republic Day parade by the armed forces is often part of the celebrations.
The main celebration is held in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. The President of Pakistan is usually the Chief Guest; also the attended in public are Prime Minister of Pakistan of Pakistan alongside the Cabinet ministers, military chiefs of staff, and chairman joint chiefs.
A full inter-services joint military parade is rehearsed and broadcast live by the news media in all over the country. Pakistan military inter services also shows a glance of its power and capabilities during this parade.
The celebrations regarding the holiday include a full military and civilian parade in the capital, Islamabad. These are presided by the President of Pakistan and are held early in the morning. After the parade, the President confers national awards and medals on the awardees at the Presidency.
Wreaths are also laid at the mausoleums of Muhammad Iqbal and Muhammad Ali Jinnah founder of Pakistan. In very rare times and significance, foreign dignitaries have been invited to attend the military parade.

::Economy::

India's GDP to be 8.1% in FY2023: OECD

Amid rising global demand for Indian wheat due to the Russia-Ukraine crisis, the Central government has called a high-level meeting on Thursday with top exporters from the country, port authorities, state governments and also secretaries from the department of agriculture, shipping, commerce and Railways. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, which is one of the country's foremost wheat producing states is also expected to attend the meeting. Sources said the meeting is expected to discuss ways and means to boost wheat exports from India and clear all the bottlenecks so that the country manages to take advantage of the favorable global conditions.
The government is closely monitoring the global commodity price movements and their impact on the Indian economy through trade in the aftermath of global supply disruptions amid the Russia-Ukraine war, Parliament was informed on Tuesday. Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhury said the government is also committed to supporting initiatives for releases from Strategic Petroleum Reserves to mitigate market volatility and calm the rise in crude oil prices. To a question on whether the government has made any review of the economy consequent upon the breakout of war between Russia and Ukraine, the minister said the geopolitical tension between Russia and Ukraine has led to global supply disruptions, resulting in a steep increase in global commodity prices, including crude oil, gas, edible oils and fertilisers, among others.
India’s real gross domestic product (GDP) could grow 5.5% in FY23, lower than 8.1% in 2021-22, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said on Tuesday. In its Economic Outlook for Southeast Asia, China and India, the agency said that China’s economy isseen growing 5.1% in both FY22 and FY23. Driven by infrastructure spending and border reopenings, the GDP of emerging Asia - China, India and the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN)- is projected to grow 5.8% this year, following a 7.4% expansion in 2021 and a 0.8% contraction in 2020, it said, adding that the Ukraine war adds to inflation and supply chain risks facing an emerging Asia attempting to break out of the Covid-19 slump.

::Science and tech::

Indian-American among two astronauts who carried out spacewalk

According to a statement by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on Tuesday, flight engineers Raja Chari of NASA and Matthias Maurer of the European Space Agency (ESA) were given the go-ahead to exit the International Space Station (ISS).
Two astronauts at the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday exited the space station for a six and a half hour spacewalk or an Extravehicular Activity (EVA). This is the second spacewalk being undertaken to upgrade the orbiting laboratory. The first one was carried out on March 15 and lasted for the same duration.
According to a statement by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on Tuesday, flight engineers Raja Chari of NASA and Matthias Maurer of the European Space Agency (ESA) were given the go-ahead to exit the ISS.
On Tuesday, both astronauts underwent a standard medical checkup. “The duo had an ear exam and measured heart and breathing rate, blood pressure, and temperature. Afterwards, Chari and Maurer staged their US spacesuits and readied their spacewalking tools inside the US Quest airlock,” the NASA statement added.
Earlier this month, NASA had said that Chari and Maurer would install hoes on a Radiator Beam Valve Module that routes ammonia through the station's heat-rejecting radiators to keep systems at the proper temperature.
“The crew members will also install a power and data cable on the Columbus module’s Bartolomeo science platform, replace an external camera on the station’s truss, and conduct other upgrades to station hardware,” NASA added.

::Sports::

Bajrang Punia refused federation-appointed physios at camp: WFI

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) refuted Bajrang Punia’s charge that he is without a physiotherapist since the Tokyo Olympics, saying on Friday that the Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist has refused the services of two physios at the national camp in Sports Authority of India (SAI), Sonepat.
WFI said after the Olympics Punia made a request to hire physio Anand Kumar Dubey, but he was not being released by his employers Indians Railways.
“The WFI immediately sent a proposal to SAI TOPS for approval, which was later approved by the competent authority and a letter was issued by SAI & WFI to the Secretary, Railway Sports Promotion Board for the release and attachment of Anand Kumar with Bajrang,” WFI said in a statement on Friday.
“As per the request from Bajrang Punia, the physiotherapist was sanctioned boarding and lodging at the SAI Sonepat centre at cost to the government. Since Dr. Anand Kumar was not relieved by his department, therefore, WFI arranged another physiotherapist for Bajrang.