Current Affairs for BANK, IBPS Exams - 08 July 2022

::National::

Deadline for comments on policy for persons with disabilities extended

The Centre has extended the deadline for submission of comments on the draft National Policy for Persons with Disabilities, which was made public in June and among other things proposes a dedicated job portal, from July 9 to July 15 after activists sought more time for it. A social justice and empowerment ministry official said the deadline is likely to be extended further.
Disability rights activist and University College of Medical Sciences (Delhi) professor Satendra Singh said despite the demand for converting the draft policy into an accessible document and to extend the deadline for comments, it has been extended just by a week. “A month is not enough to hold public consultations and submit the responses.”
Activists say the draft has many good provisions such as those related to ensuring that people with disability do not have to make multiple trips to get certifications. They underline that chapters related to skill development, education, and disaster management need some more work. The policy also proposes a network of Cross Disability Early Intervention Centres in every district.
TD Dhariyal, a former commissioner with Delhi’s Office of the Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, said instead of one centre in each district, the number should be decided on as per the geographical spread. “In hilly areas, it will be difficult for parents to take their children to the centre if it is located far away.”
Anjalee Agarwal, an access auditor who has been involved in conducting accessibility audits of government buildings, called for the need to have a detailed strategy for disaster management. “During the pandemic, getting access to information in an accessible format was a big challenge for people with disabilities. The policy should clearly state that people with disabilities should be on priority and should have access to information.”

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::International::

G20 ministers-Russia’s Lavrov face-off likely on Ukraine war in Bali

Top finance officials from the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, India and other G20 nations will meet in Bali for a joint summit on Friday, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as top agenda. This is the first time since February 24 that all major players sit in the same room, host Indonesia's Foreign Minister RetnoMarsudi informed.
The meeting is a prelude to the leaders' summit on the Indonesian resort island in November that aims to focus on the global recovery from the pandemic. However, attention has shifted to Moscow's “special military operation” in its neighbouring Ukraine after it disrupted the international economy, global food shortage fears and alleged Russian war crimes.
The meet is expected to witness sharp exchanges over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its impacts on food and energy security, climate change, endemic poverty and the lingering effects of coronavirus. The United States will push the world's top economies to pressure Russia via stricter and wide-ranging sanctions, news agency AFP reported.
The closed-door foreign minister's meeting on Friday will be the first time Russia President Vladimir Putin's top diplomat Sergey Lavrov will come face-to-face with the most vocal opponents of the invasion of Ukraine in February, news agency Reuters reported.
China- facing heat from the West - will be represented by its foreign minister Wang Yi. Russia and China will face off against the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his French, German and British counterparts. The US and China are at severe and worsening odds over numerous issues ranging from tariffs and trade and human rights to Taiwan and disputes in the South China Sea.
After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, many G20 countries had urged Indonesia to not invite President Vladimir Putin to attend the G20 summit, US-based ABC News reported. US President Joe Biden has said on multiple occasions that Russia should not remain a member of the G20 anymore.
Host Indonesia has resisted pressure to uninvite Russia, inviting Ukrainian Foreign Minister DymytroKuleba virtually as a compromise.

::Economy::

BoB mulls issuing long term bonds to fund infra, affordable housing sectors

Bank of Baroda is mulling to raise capital by issuing long term bonds to finance infrastructure and affordable housing sectors in the country.
A meeting of the investment committee will be convened later this month to get an approval, Bank of Baroda said in a regulatory filing on Thursday.
"The Investment Committee meeting of our bank is scheduled to be held on 16th July 2022 to finalise the quantum and timing of issuance of long term bonds for financing of infrastructure and affordable housing, out of the board approved limit of Rs 5,000 crore," it said.
Stock of Bank of Baroda closed 5.63 per cent higher at Rs 105.05 apiece on BSE.

Rupee resumes slide, tumbles 19 paise to 79.13 against US dollar

Resuming its slide after a day's pause, the rupee declined 19 paise to close at 79.13 against the US dollar on Thursday as a firm greenback overseas and unabated foreign capital outflows outweighed the impact of RBI's measures to support the domestic currency.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 79.05 and shuttled between a high of 78.90 and a low of 79.26.
It finally settled at 79.13, down 19 paise over its previous close of 78.94.
The rupee had jumped 39 paise on Wednesday -- its best single-day gain in over three months -- after the RBI raised overseas borrowing limits for companies and liberalised norms for foreign investments in government bonds as it announced a slew of measures to boost foreign exchange inflows and curb the fall of the rupee, which has slumped to record lows against the US dollar in the past few sessions.
"Rupee opened on a flat note but started to come under pressure despite measures announced by the RBI," said GaurangSomaiya, Forex& Bullion Analyst, Motilal Oswal Financial Services.
The central bank had also said it has been closely monitoring the liquidity conditions in the forex market and has stepped in as needed in all segments to alleviate dollar tightness with the objective of ensuring orderly market functioning.

::Science and tech::

Carnivorous plant catches prey underground, found in Indonesia: Study

A first-of-its-kind carnivorous plant that traps prey underground has been found on Indonesia's Borneo Island in the country's North Kalimantan province. Similar to other pitcher plants - the name given to carnivorous plants with modified prey-catching leaves - the plant has been christened Nepenthes pudica and is the first such that catches prey underground.
A study published in the journal PhytoKeys on June 23 says Nepenthes pudica is known only from a few neighbouring localities in North Kalimantan's MentarangHulu district, where it grows on ridgetops at an elevation of 1,100–1,300 metres above sea level.
"We found a pitcher plant which differs markedly from all the other known species," Martin Dančák of the Czech Republic's Palacký University, who is the lead author of the study, said.
"... this species places its up-to-11-cm-long pitchers underground, where they are formed in cavities or directly in the soil and trap animals living underground, usually ants, mites and beetles," Dančák explained.
Also, the leaves that support the pitcher - which traps the prey - are a fraction of their normal size. The pitchers themselves, though, are of the normal size and have a reddish-purplish colour.
"Interestingly, we found numerous organisms living inside the pitchers, including mosquito larvae, nematodes and a species of worm which was also described as a new species," VáclavČermák from the Czech Republic's Mendel University, who was part of the team, said.
The scientists said a few reason for the plant to have evolved to catch prey underground is more stable conditions and potential prey during dry periods.

::Sports::

Nadal pulls out of Wimbledon semi-final against Kyrgios due to injury

Two-time Wimbledon champion Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the 2022 tournament with an abdomen injury ahead of his semi-final match against Nick Kyrgios on Centre Court on Friday. Nadal had battled abdominal pain to oust Taylor Fritz in the five-set thriller on Thursday to reach his eighth Wimbledon semi-final. With his withdrawal, Nadal's hope of a Calendar Grand Slam ends.
Nadal had a light practice session of around 45 minutes in a bid to shake off his injury concerns and be ready for the big semi-final match against Kyrgios, who reached his maiden Grand Slam semi-final.
It was earlier reported by Spanish newspaper Marca prior to his practice session that Nadal had suffered a 7-millimetre tear in one of his abdominal muscles.