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Current Affairs Daily Digest – 7 January 2023

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Cabinet approves continuation of Schemes of MDoNER worth Rs 12882.2cr from 2022-23 to 2025-26i.The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi has approved the continuation of the Schemes of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) for the balance period of the 15th Finance Commission i.e. from 2022-23 to 2025-26.
ii.Its outlay is Rs 12882.2 crore.
Based on the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) recommendations, the funding for different northeastern states is as follows:

  • North East Special Infrastructure Scheme (NESIDS)– Rs.8139.5 crore including committed liabilities of ongoing projects
  • Schemes of NEC– Rs.3202.7 crore including committed liabilities of ongoing projects
  • Special Packages for BTC, DHATC and KAATC in Assam– Rs.1540 crore (BTC- Rs 500 crore, KAATC – Rs 750 crore and old packages of BTC, DHATC & KAATC – Rs 290 crore)

About Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER):
Union Minister– Gangapuram Kishan Reddy (Constituency- Secunderabad, Telangana)
Minister of State (MoS)– B. L. Verma (Constituency- Uttar Pradesh)

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurates National Genome Editing & Training Centre at Mohali, PunjabOn 5th January 2023, Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Science and Technology, inaugurated the “National Genome Editing & Training Centre” (NGETC) at the National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), under the Department of Biotechnology,  Ministry of Science and Technology, in Mohali, Punjab.

  • Dr Jitendra Singh also launched a 4-day International Conference on Food and Nutritional Security 2023 (iFANS-2023), which takes place from 6th to 9th January 2023.

Key Points:
i. Over 80,000 firms have been founded in India as a result of the startup movement, which had just roughly 350 startups before 2014.
ii. Dr Jitendra Singh insisted that the increase in the number of StartUps must also equally and proportionately reflect in the Agri and Bio-tech because this area is yet to be fully explored and taken advantage of by Indian entrepreneurs and youth.
National Genome Editing & Training Centre (NGETC):
i. The NGETC is one roof state-of-the-art facility that will serve as a national platform to meet regional demands for adapting various genome editing methods, including Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)-Cas mediated genome modification.

  • Genome editing is a tool to cause site-specific gene changes or mutations to enable the development of critical crop features.
  • Indian research might use the promising technology of genome editing to provide the necessary custom features in crops.

ii. NGETC will help empower young researchers by educating them about its expertise and application in crops.
iii. Bananas, rice, wheat, tomato, maize, and millet are just a few of the many crops that NABI has demonstrated its capacity to expand the use of its genome editing technologies.
International Conference in Food and Nutritional Security 2023 (iFANS-2023):
The iFANS-2023, a 4-day conference, will be jointly organized by the National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Centre for Innovative and Applied Bioprocessing (CIAB), Indian Council of Agricultural Research – National Institute of Plant Biotechnology (ICAR – NIPB), and International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) at NABI, Mohali, Punjab.

  • The theme of the conference is pertinent to inspire young students and researchers considering the fact that food and nutrition security is a global demand.

The conference will discuss how genome editing might improve India’s food and nutritional security under changing climate.

  • The conference will have multiple sessions with speakers from 15 different countries.
  • 80 speakers (40 international and 40 national) will be sharing their scientific knowledge during the conference.

India’s Biggest Hockey Stadium was inaugurated in Odisha
Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister(CM) of Odisha, inaugurated the Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium, India’s largest hockey stadium, in terms of seated (chair) capacity of 20,000, in Rourkela, Odisha.

  • CM Naveen Patnaik also inaugurated the World Cup Village at Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium Complex in Rourkela and announced a reward of Rs 1 crore for each player of the Indian hockey team if they win the World Cup Hockey.
  • CM also inaugurated the “Mo Bus” (my bus) services in Rourkela with 30 vehicles to ensure hassle-free movement during the hockey world cup.

The stadium is inaugurated ahead of the 15th Fédération Internationale de Hockey(FIH) Hockey World Cup – FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 which is scheduled to be held from 13th to 29th January 2023 in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela, Odisha.

  • Rourkela is the 2nd venue for the international event after the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

Key People:

Bhola Nath Singh, Secretary General of Hockey India along with officials of Hockey India and the Odisha government were present during the event.
About Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium:
i.The Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium, named after freedom fighter Birsa Munda, is built over 15 acres of land at the campus of the Biju Patnaik University of Technology (BPUT) in Rourkela.
ii.The stadium, with a total capacity of 21,000, is built at a cost of Rs 146 crore.
20 of the 44 Hockey World Cup matches will be held at Birsa Munda stadium and the remaining will be held in Kalinga Stadium.
iii.The stadium was built by the Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO).
World Cup Village: 
i.The World Cup Village with 225 rooms with all amenities for the Hockey World Cup has been developed within a period of 9 months.
ii.The World Cup Village will house the teams and officials of the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023.
Additional info: 
During the inauguration event, CM Naveen Patnaik unveiled a book titled “Odisha Re Hockey” (Hockey In Odisha) published by School and Mass Education Department.
The book deals with the history of Hockey in Sundargarh and the role of Odisha in promoting the national sport of India.
Points to note: 
Odisha will be hosting the men’s hockey world cup for the 2nd time in a row. Previously, the 2018 Hockey world cup was hosted at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. This will be the fourth time India will host the hockey world cup.

India gets its 1st IVF Mobile Unit for Animals

On 1st January 2023, India received its 1st In vitro fertilization (IVF) mobile unit for animals in Amreli, Gujarat. Parshottam Rupala, Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, inaugurated the mobile IVF lab.

The Government of India and Amar Dairy jointly dedicated the IVF mobile van.

  • Notably, IVF is a complex series of procedures used to support fertility and child conception.
  • It is an advanced reproductive technology used in animals to multiply superior female germplasm at a higher rate.

ILO Report: Half of The World’s Workforce Works Too Much or Too Little

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO) report “Working Time and Work-Life Balance Around the World”, more than half of the world’s workforce doesn’t typically work a nine-to-five schedule.

  • As per the report, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the average number of hours per week in paid work globally was around 43.9 hours (2019 or the latest available year).

Key Observations from the Report
i.The report examines the two main aspects of working time: working hours and working time arrangements (also called work schedules), as well as their effects on business performance and workers’ work-life balance.

  • The report examines implications on work-life balance, such as shift work, on-call work, compressed hours, and hours-averaging schemes.

ii.The report, which is the first to focus on work-life balance, discovered that a significant fraction of the global workforce works either long or short hours when compared to a standard eight-hour day/40-hour work week.

  • More than one-third of all workers work more than 48 hours per week on a regular basis, whereas one-fifth of the global workforce works short (part-time) hours of less than 35 per week.

iii.The report also looked at the disparities between workers’ actual and preferred work hours, and found a significant misalignment.

  • Workers in the informal economy are more likely to work long or short hours.

iv.The report provides a significant amount of evidence showing work-life balance policies have a positive impact on businesses, proving that such policies benefit both employers and employees.
About the International Labour Organization (ILO):
ILO is the only tripartite United Nations (UN) agency that brings together governments, employers, and workers from 187 member countries. India is a founder member of the ILO.
Director-General – Gilbert Fossoun Houngbo
Headquarters – Geneva, Switzerland
Establishment – 1919

RBI selected 6 firms under 4th cohort of RS to Test Anti-Fraud Solutionsi.On January 5, 2023, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) selected six entities out of nine applications for the Test Phase under the 4th cohort of Regulatory Sandbox (RS) on the theme ‘Prevention and Mitigation of Financial Frauds’.
ii.The selected entities will commence testing their products on Anti-Fraud Solutions from February 2023.
iii.Selected entities & their Products:

  • Bahwan Cybertek
  • Crediwatch Information Analytics
  • enStage Software Private Limited (Wibmo)
  • HSBC in collaboration with Wibmo
  • napID Cybersec
  • Trusting Social

SEBI nod to Reclassify Govt Holding in IDBI Bank as ‘Public’ after SaleThe Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) agreed to the Central Government request to reclassify its shareholding in IDBI Bank after its disinvestment as public holding.

  • However, this is subject to the condition that government’s voting rights in the bank will not exceed 15% of the total voting rights after the sale.

Key Points:
i.This reclassification by government must be specified in the letter of offer dispatched to the shareholders of the bank in connection with the open offer made by the acquirer.
ii.After disinvestment, the bank must make an application to the stock exchanges for reclassification of the government holding under the public category.
iii.The new acquirer must ensure compliance with the minimum public shareholding (MPS) requirements within one year of the sale.
iv.At present, the government holds 45.48% stake, LIC holds around 49.24%, and the remaining 5.28% is public shareholding.
v.The government is selling 30.48% stake in the bank, while LIC will sell 30.24%.

  • After the sale, the government will be left with 15 per cent and LIC will have a little over 19 per cent stake in the bank.

About Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI):
Chairperson– Madhabi Puri Buch
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Establishment– 1992

SEBI Issues Debt Broker License to Zerodha-Backed GoldenPi TechnologiesThe Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has granted a debt broker license to GoldenPi Technologies, a Bengaluru (Karnataka)-based fintech company backed by Indian financial services provider Zerodha.

  • With this, GoldenPi Technologies became the first online bond platform (OBP) provider to obtain a debt brokerage licence from SEBI.

On January 5, 2022, SEBI relaxed certain provisions of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015 (Listing Regulations) relating to the dispatch of a hard copy of the annual report (financial statements) due in the year 2023 to debenture holders till September 30, 2023, which shall take effect immediately. The earlier extension lasted until December 31, 2022.

About the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI):
Chairperson– Madhabi Puri Buch
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Establishment– 1992

RBI Launches Medium-Term Strategy Framework “Utkarsh 2.0” For 2023-2025The Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Shaktikanta Das, has launched the “Utkarsh 2.0” Medium-Term Strategy Framework for the period 2023-2025.

  • Utkarsh 2.0 would enable the RBI to respond to socioeconomic challenges in both a proactive and reactive manner.
  • Utkarsh 2.0 relies on the strengths of Utkarsh 2022 by retaining the six vision statements, as well as the core purpose, values, and mission statement.

Utkarsh 2022
i.The first strategy framework, “Utkarsh 2022”, covering the period 2019-2022, was launched in July 2019.

  • It evolved into a medium-term strategy document that guided the RBI’s work toward the achievement of the defined milestones.

ii.Utkarsh’s core purpose is to promote monetary and financial stability while retaining growth as a priority, in order to support the establishment of an effective and inclusive financial system.
Six Vision statements of Utkarsh 2.0

  • Excellence in performance of its functions
  • Strengthened trust of citizens and Institutions in the RBI
  • Enhanced relevance and significance in national and global roles
  • Transparent, accountable and ethics-driven internal governance
  • Best-in-class and environment-friendly digital and physical infrastructure
  • Innovative, dynamic and skilled human resources

Key Points:
i.Utkarsh 2.0 will include the adoption of tools driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) for data analysis and information generation.
ii.The RBI oversees the program’s implementation and development, through a Sub-committee of its Central Board.
About the Reserve Bank of India (RBI):
Governor – Shaktikanta Das
Deputy Governors – Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Debabrata Patra, M. Rajeshwar Rao, T. Rabi Sankar
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Establishment –1935

Axis Bank & OPEN Collaborate to Launch a Fully Digital Current AccountAxis Bank Limited (Axis Bank), India’s third-largest private sector bank, has partnered with Open Financial Technologies Pvt Ltd (OPEN), a digital banking firm, to give its customers a fully native digital current account journey.

  • This is Axis Bank’s first collaboration with a fintech company to develop a fully digital current account.

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), freelancers, homepreneurs (home-based entrepreneurs), influencers, and other clients would benefit from the Fully Digital Current Account.
Key Points:  
i.The existing Current account holders of Axis Bank will have access to over 250 banking services from Axis Bank as well as OPEN’s financial automation tools for business management.

  • Payments, accounting, payroll, compliance, expense management, and other services are among the business management tools offered by OPEN.

ii.The digital current account authentication process will be entirely online, using the PAN (permanent account number) and Aadhaar, followed by a video KYC (know your customer) process.
iii.OPEN will continue to work on integrating value-added services for users such as term loans, revenue-based finance, and more.
Open Financial Technologies Pvt Ltd (OPEN)
i.OPEN, a neo-banking platform headquartered in Bangalore, Karnataka, was founded in 2017.

  • A “neo-bank” is a kind of digital bank that does not have any physical locations. They use artificial intelligence (AI) and technology to give clients personalized services while reducing operating costs.

ii.OPEN operates the SME neo-banking platform ‘Open Money’, the embedded finance platform ‘Zwitch’, and ‘BankingStack’, the enterprise digital banking platform for banks.
iii.Open, India’s 100th Unicorn, is backed by top global investors such as IIFL Finance, Temasek, Google, Visa, and Tiger Global, among others.

  • OPEN’s digital banking platform is currently used by over 30 lakh businesses.
  • Anish Achuthan is the Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of OPEN.

About Axis Bank Limited:
MD & CEO – Amitabh Chaudhry
Establishment –1993
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Tagline – Badhti Ka Naam Zindagi

CIRIUM: Delhi & Bengaluru Among the Top 10 Performing Global Airports Of 2022According to the On-Time Performance Review 2022 released by CIRIUM, the aviation analytics company, Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru, Karnataka, and Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, Delhi, were listed among the top 10 in the Top Performing Global Airports of 2022.

  • Kempegowda International Airport is ranked 2nd and Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport is ranked 7th on the list.
  • The list is topped by Haneda Airport in Japan.
  • Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai (Maharashtra) stood at the 11th spot.

The Top Performing Global Airports of 2022:

Varanasi Cantt Railway Station Bags ‘Eat Right Station’ Certification from FSSAI

The Varanasi Cantt railway station has been awarded a 5- star ‘Eat Right Station’ certification by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for providing high quality and nutritious food to passengers. The 5-star rating indicates full compliance by the station to ensure safe and hygienic food is available to passengers.

  • The certification is part of the ‘Eat Right India’ movement- a large-scale effort by FSSAI to transform India’s food system to ensure safe, healthy and sustainable food for all Indians.
  • The other railway stations with Star certification include Anand Vihar Terminal Railway Station (Delhi); Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (Mumbai); Mumbai Central Railway Station, (Mumbai); Vadodara Railway Station, Chandigarh Railway Station and Bhopal Railway Station. 

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan presents 1st Gouriamma award to Aleida Guevara

On 5th January 2023, Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister (CM) of Kerala, presented the 1st Gouriamma award to Aleida Guevara, Cuban child rights advocate and daughter of revolutionary leader Che Guevara, at Olympia Hall at Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

  • The award recognises her efforts to rehabilitate differently abled children and provide debt relief to developing countries.
  • The award was instituted by The K.R. Gouriamma Foundation in memory of the Communist leader K.R. Gouriamma.
  • The award comprises USD 3,000, a statuette and a citation.
  • Jury: former Education Minister M.A. Baby(chair) Binoy Viswam, Member of Parliament (MP), and P.C. Beenakumari, managing trustee of the foundation.

Tropidophis cacuangoae: Scientists Discovers New Dwarf Boa in Ecuadoran Amazon

Scientists have discovered a new species of dwarf boa(snake): Tropidophis cacuangoae in the Ecuadorian Amazon, Ecuador. The new species is named after 20th century Indigenous rights activist Dolores Cacuango.
Two specimens of the species were found in the Colonso Chalupas national reserve and in the private Sumak Kawsay park.

  • The new species is 20 centimetres (7.8 inches) long, with skin colouring similar to those of the boa constrictor.
  • The species is unusual for having a “vestigial pelvis” characteristic of primitive snakes and taken as evidence by some that snakes descended from lizards that lost their limbs over millions of years.
  • The researchers’ findings were published in the European Journal of Taxonomy.

Pranesh from TN Becomes India’s 79th Chess Grandmaster; Wins Rilton Cup 2022/2023M Pranesh (16-year-old) from Tamil Nadu (TN) became India’s 79th Grandmaster (GM) after crossing the 2500 ELO rating and winning the Rilton Cup 2022/2023 held in Stockholm, Sweden.

  • The Rilton Cup is the first tournament of the FIDE circuit.
  • Pranesh is the 28th Grandmaster from Tamil Nadu(TN).

Key highlights:
i.He crossed the 2500-rating threshold and became a GM, having completed his three norms before the Rilton Cup.

  • He won his first norm at the 18th Delhi GM Open in January 2020 and claimed his second norm at the Sunway Sitges International Chess Festival in Spain in December 2021.
  • He won his third norm at the Asian Continental Chess Championship 2022.

Key Points:
i.Pranesh has been seeded 22nd, finishing ahead of IM Kaan Kucuksari (Sweden) and GM Nikita Meshkovs (Latvia).

  • He topped the Rilton Cup charts which witnessed the participation of 136 players representing 29 national federations

ii.With 6.8 circuit points Pranesh is now the early leader of the FIDE Circuit.

  • The player with most points by the end of the year qualifies for the 2024 FIDE Candidates.

iii.Grandmaster R Raja Rithvik of India finished 8th with 6 points.
Note – On 1st January 2023 Koustav Chatterjee (19-year) had become India’s 78th GM at the MPL 59th National Senior Chess in New Delhi, Delhi.
About GrandMaster (GM):
i.Grandmaster (GM) is the highest title a chess player attain and it is awarded by the world chess organisation FIDE (Fédération Internationale des Échecs –  International Chess Federation).

  • To become a GM, a player has to secure three GM norms and cross the live rating of 2,500 Elo points.

ii.The other titles by FIDE include International Master (IM), FIDE Master (FM) and Candidate Master (CD), which are open to all chess players regardless of gender.

KKCL & BCCI partners as Official Sponsor of Indian Cricket Team

Kewal Kiran Clothing Limited (KKCL), the retail giant, has announced plans to enter its flagship brand ‘Killer’ into a strategic partnership with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as the Indian Cricket Team’s “Official Sponsor”.

  • The brand will now be displayed on the Team India jersey’s right upper chest. KKCL will put on the brand Killer logo on Team India’s Kit until 31st May 2023.
  • Since 1992, KKCL, one of India’s major branded garment manufacturers, has been creating, producing, and distributing branded jeans and a variety of western clothing.
  • It also produces “Killer” jeans, a brand that has been prominently marketed on the fields of cricket. KKCL owns brands like Integriti, Lawmanpg3, Easies and Desi Belle

FIH Partners with JSW Group for 15th Edition Hockey Men’s World Cup

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has signed a partnership with the JSW Group for the upcoming 15th edition of FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela, which will be conducted between 13th January 2023 – 29th January 2023 in Odisha. The JSW Group supports and promotes Olympics in India and has created an Olympic Training Institute in the Inspire Institute of Sport. It also has Olympic training centres across India.

Veteran Sinologist Janaki Ballabh passed away in Beijing

Veteran Sinologist Janaki Ballabh, an Indian translator and writer, who translated a range of Chinese works into Hindi, passed away in Beijing, China, at the age of 94.  He lived and worked in China as a Hindi Language expert from 1956 to the years immediately following the Cultural Revolution.

  • Janaki Ballabh was born in Dalakot village in Almora in Uttarakhand and was closely associated with India’s Independence movement.
  • Noted works: ‘Selected Works’ by Mao Zedong, founder of the Communist Party of China (CPC); the Chinese classic novel ‘Journey to the West’; and works of prominent Chinese writer, essayist, poet and literary critic Lu Xun
  • He was honoured with Peace and Friendship Award 1961 by former Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai for his contributions to cultural exchange between China and India.

Sinologist – a person who studies or is an expert in the academic study of China primarily through Chinese language, literature, and history.

World Day of War Orphans 2023 – January 6World Day of War Orphans is annually observed across the globe on January 6 to create initiatives to ensure a better future for children who have been left orphaned by war and to raise awareness of the need to preserve their human rights globally.

  • The day provides a platform for discussing the problem of war orphans and emphasising the difficulties children experience as they develop emotionally, socially, and physically.

i. The French organisation SOS Enfants En Detresse (SOSEED), which aimed to better the lives of children impacted by conflict, established the World Day of War Orphans.
ii. War Orphans- A child who has lost both parents or, less commonly, one parent through civilian deaths in the war.
About the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF);
Executive Director- Catherine M. Russell
Headquarters- New York, USA
Establishment- 1946

Army Inks Pact with Assam Govt for Treatment of Ex-servicemen at Medical Colleges

On 5th January 2023 the Indian Army signed Memorandums of Agreement (MoUs)with eight government medical colleges and hospitals under the Governemnt of Assam to offer the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) in Assam. The benefits of ECHS will be offered in hospitals and colleges in Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Silchar, Jorhat, Barpeta, Tezpur, Diphu and North Lakhimpur.

  • The MoUs were signed between the Indian Army and 8 government medical colleges and hospitals in Assam in presence of Chief Minister (CM) Himanta Biswa Sarma and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Command Lt Gen RP Kalita.
  • The Assam Cancer Care Foundation (ACCF), Government of Assam and TATA Trust initiative, has also been empanelled with ECHS.
  • This scheme covers all types of diseases and will facilitate the cashless and capless treatment of almost 1.12 lakh beneficiaries.

HP CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu Launched Rs 101 crore CM’s Sukhashray Sahayata Kosh for the Needy

On 1st January 2023, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Chief Minister (CM) of Himachal Pradesh (HP), launched CM’s Sukhashray Sahayata Kosh with an outlay of Rs 101 crore for higher education for needy children especially orphans, destitute women and senior citizens with immediate effect.

  • All 40 Congress Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) have agreed to deposit their first month’s salary into the fund.
  • The Government of Himachal Pradesh will cover the costs of their skill-development education, higher education (engineering, medicine, and management), and vocational training, for destitute children.

Current Affairs Daily Digest – 7 January 2023

Last updated: Sun Jan 08 2023

Cabinet approves continuation of Schemes of MDoNER worth Rs 12882.2cr from 2022-23 to 2025-26i.The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi has approved the continuation of the Schemes of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) for the balance period of the 15th Finance Commission i.e. from 2022-23 to 2025-26.
ii.Its outlay is Rs 12882.2 crore.
Based on the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) recommendations, the funding for different northeastern states is as follows:

  • North East Special Infrastructure Scheme (NESIDS)– Rs.8139.5 crore including committed liabilities of ongoing projects
  • Schemes of NEC– Rs.3202.7 crore including committed liabilities of ongoing projects
  • Special Packages for BTC, DHATC and KAATC in Assam– Rs.1540 crore (BTC- Rs 500 crore, KAATC – Rs 750 crore and old packages of BTC, DHATC & KAATC – Rs 290 crore)

About Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER):
Union Minister– Gangapuram Kishan Reddy (Constituency- Secunderabad, Telangana)
Minister of State (MoS)– B. L. Verma (Constituency- Uttar Pradesh)

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurates National Genome Editing & Training Centre at Mohali, PunjabOn 5th January 2023, Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Science and Technology, inaugurated the “National Genome Editing & Training Centre” (NGETC) at the National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), under the Department of Biotechnology,  Ministry of Science and Technology, in Mohali, Punjab.

  • Dr Jitendra Singh also launched a 4-day International Conference on Food and Nutritional Security 2023 (iFANS-2023), which takes place from 6th to 9th January 2023.

Key Points:
i. Over 80,000 firms have been founded in India as a result of the startup movement, which had just roughly 350 startups before 2014.
ii. Dr Jitendra Singh insisted that the increase in the number of StartUps must also equally and proportionately reflect in the Agri and Bio-tech because this area is yet to be fully explored and taken advantage of by Indian entrepreneurs and youth.
National Genome Editing & Training Centre (NGETC):
i. The NGETC is one roof state-of-the-art facility that will serve as a national platform to meet regional demands for adapting various genome editing methods, including Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)-Cas mediated genome modification.

  • Genome editing is a tool to cause site-specific gene changes or mutations to enable the development of critical crop features.
  • Indian research might use the promising technology of genome editing to provide the necessary custom features in crops.

ii. NGETC will help empower young researchers by educating them about its expertise and application in crops.
iii. Bananas, rice, wheat, tomato, maize, and millet are just a few of the many crops that NABI has demonstrated its capacity to expand the use of its genome editing technologies.
International Conference in Food and Nutritional Security 2023 (iFANS-2023):
The iFANS-2023, a 4-day conference, will be jointly organized by the National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Centre for Innovative and Applied Bioprocessing (CIAB), Indian Council of Agricultural Research – National Institute of Plant Biotechnology (ICAR – NIPB), and International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) at NABI, Mohali, Punjab.

  • The theme of the conference is pertinent to inspire young students and researchers considering the fact that food and nutrition security is a global demand.

The conference will discuss how genome editing might improve India’s food and nutritional security under changing climate.

  • The conference will have multiple sessions with speakers from 15 different countries.
  • 80 speakers (40 international and 40 national) will be sharing their scientific knowledge during the conference.

India’s Biggest Hockey Stadium was inaugurated in Odisha
Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister(CM) of Odisha, inaugurated the Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium, India’s largest hockey stadium, in terms of seated (chair) capacity of 20,000, in Rourkela, Odisha.

  • CM Naveen Patnaik also inaugurated the World Cup Village at Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium Complex in Rourkela and announced a reward of Rs 1 crore for each player of the Indian hockey team if they win the World Cup Hockey.
  • CM also inaugurated the “Mo Bus” (my bus) services in Rourkela with 30 vehicles to ensure hassle-free movement during the hockey world cup.

The stadium is inaugurated ahead of the 15th Fédération Internationale de Hockey(FIH) Hockey World Cup – FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 which is scheduled to be held from 13th to 29th January 2023 in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela, Odisha.

  • Rourkela is the 2nd venue for the international event after the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

Key People:

Bhola Nath Singh, Secretary General of Hockey India along with officials of Hockey India and the Odisha government were present during the event.
About Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium:
i.The Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium, named after freedom fighter Birsa Munda, is built over 15 acres of land at the campus of the Biju Patnaik University of Technology (BPUT) in Rourkela.
ii.The stadium, with a total capacity of 21,000, is built at a cost of Rs 146 crore.
20 of the 44 Hockey World Cup matches will be held at Birsa Munda stadium and the remaining will be held in Kalinga Stadium.
iii.The stadium was built by the Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO).
World Cup Village: 
i.The World Cup Village with 225 rooms with all amenities for the Hockey World Cup has been developed within a period of 9 months.
ii.The World Cup Village will house the teams and officials of the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023.
Additional info: 
During the inauguration event, CM Naveen Patnaik unveiled a book titled “Odisha Re Hockey” (Hockey In Odisha) published by School and Mass Education Department.
The book deals with the history of Hockey in Sundargarh and the role of Odisha in promoting the national sport of India.
Points to note: 
Odisha will be hosting the men’s hockey world cup for the 2nd time in a row. Previously, the 2018 Hockey world cup was hosted at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. This will be the fourth time India will host the hockey world cup.

India gets its 1st IVF Mobile Unit for Animals

On 1st January 2023, India received its 1st In vitro fertilization (IVF) mobile unit for animals in Amreli, Gujarat. Parshottam Rupala, Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, inaugurated the mobile IVF lab.

The Government of India and Amar Dairy jointly dedicated the IVF mobile van.

  • Notably, IVF is a complex series of procedures used to support fertility and child conception.
  • It is an advanced reproductive technology used in animals to multiply superior female germplasm at a higher rate.

ILO Report: Half of The World’s Workforce Works Too Much or Too Little

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO) report “Working Time and Work-Life Balance Around the World”, more than half of the world’s workforce doesn’t typically work a nine-to-five schedule.

  • As per the report, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the average number of hours per week in paid work globally was around 43.9 hours (2019 or the latest available year).

Key Observations from the Report
i.The report examines the two main aspects of working time: working hours and working time arrangements (also called work schedules), as well as their effects on business performance and workers’ work-life balance.

  • The report examines implications on work-life balance, such as shift work, on-call work, compressed hours, and hours-averaging schemes.

ii.The report, which is the first to focus on work-life balance, discovered that a significant fraction of the global workforce works either long or short hours when compared to a standard eight-hour day/40-hour work week.

  • More than one-third of all workers work more than 48 hours per week on a regular basis, whereas one-fifth of the global workforce works short (part-time) hours of less than 35 per week.

iii.The report also looked at the disparities between workers’ actual and preferred work hours, and found a significant misalignment.

  • Workers in the informal economy are more likely to work long or short hours.

iv.The report provides a significant amount of evidence showing work-life balance policies have a positive impact on businesses, proving that such policies benefit both employers and employees.
About the International Labour Organization (ILO):
ILO is the only tripartite United Nations (UN) agency that brings together governments, employers, and workers from 187 member countries. India is a founder member of the ILO.
Director-General – Gilbert Fossoun Houngbo
Headquarters – Geneva, Switzerland
Establishment – 1919

RBI selected 6 firms under 4th cohort of RS to Test Anti-Fraud Solutionsi.On January 5, 2023, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) selected six entities out of nine applications for the Test Phase under the 4th cohort of Regulatory Sandbox (RS) on the theme ‘Prevention and Mitigation of Financial Frauds’.
ii.The selected entities will commence testing their products on Anti-Fraud Solutions from February 2023.
iii.Selected entities & their Products:

  • Bahwan Cybertek
  • Crediwatch Information Analytics
  • enStage Software Private Limited (Wibmo)
  • HSBC in collaboration with Wibmo
  • napID Cybersec
  • Trusting Social

SEBI nod to Reclassify Govt Holding in IDBI Bank as ‘Public’ after SaleThe Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) agreed to the Central Government request to reclassify its shareholding in IDBI Bank after its disinvestment as public holding.

  • However, this is subject to the condition that government’s voting rights in the bank will not exceed 15% of the total voting rights after the sale.

Key Points:
i.This reclassification by government must be specified in the letter of offer dispatched to the shareholders of the bank in connection with the open offer made by the acquirer.
ii.After disinvestment, the bank must make an application to the stock exchanges for reclassification of the government holding under the public category.
iii.The new acquirer must ensure compliance with the minimum public shareholding (MPS) requirements within one year of the sale.
iv.At present, the government holds 45.48% stake, LIC holds around 49.24%, and the remaining 5.28% is public shareholding.
v.The government is selling 30.48% stake in the bank, while LIC will sell 30.24%.

  • After the sale, the government will be left with 15 per cent and LIC will have a little over 19 per cent stake in the bank.

About Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI):
Chairperson– Madhabi Puri Buch
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Establishment– 1992

SEBI Issues Debt Broker License to Zerodha-Backed GoldenPi TechnologiesThe Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has granted a debt broker license to GoldenPi Technologies, a Bengaluru (Karnataka)-based fintech company backed by Indian financial services provider Zerodha.

  • With this, GoldenPi Technologies became the first online bond platform (OBP) provider to obtain a debt brokerage licence from SEBI.

On January 5, 2022, SEBI relaxed certain provisions of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015 (Listing Regulations) relating to the dispatch of a hard copy of the annual report (financial statements) due in the year 2023 to debenture holders till September 30, 2023, which shall take effect immediately. The earlier extension lasted until December 31, 2022.

About the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI):
Chairperson– Madhabi Puri Buch
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Establishment– 1992

RBI Launches Medium-Term Strategy Framework “Utkarsh 2.0” For 2023-2025The Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Shaktikanta Das, has launched the “Utkarsh 2.0” Medium-Term Strategy Framework for the period 2023-2025.

  • Utkarsh 2.0 would enable the RBI to respond to socioeconomic challenges in both a proactive and reactive manner.
  • Utkarsh 2.0 relies on the strengths of Utkarsh 2022 by retaining the six vision statements, as well as the core purpose, values, and mission statement.

Utkarsh 2022
i.The first strategy framework, “Utkarsh 2022”, covering the period 2019-2022, was launched in July 2019.

  • It evolved into a medium-term strategy document that guided the RBI’s work toward the achievement of the defined milestones.

ii.Utkarsh’s core purpose is to promote monetary and financial stability while retaining growth as a priority, in order to support the establishment of an effective and inclusive financial system.
Six Vision statements of Utkarsh 2.0

  • Excellence in performance of its functions
  • Strengthened trust of citizens and Institutions in the RBI
  • Enhanced relevance and significance in national and global roles
  • Transparent, accountable and ethics-driven internal governance
  • Best-in-class and environment-friendly digital and physical infrastructure
  • Innovative, dynamic and skilled human resources

Key Points:
i.Utkarsh 2.0 will include the adoption of tools driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) for data analysis and information generation.
ii.The RBI oversees the program’s implementation and development, through a Sub-committee of its Central Board.
About the Reserve Bank of India (RBI):
Governor – Shaktikanta Das
Deputy Governors – Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Debabrata Patra, M. Rajeshwar Rao, T. Rabi Sankar
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Establishment –1935

Axis Bank & OPEN Collaborate to Launch a Fully Digital Current AccountAxis Bank Limited (Axis Bank), India’s third-largest private sector bank, has partnered with Open Financial Technologies Pvt Ltd (OPEN), a digital banking firm, to give its customers a fully native digital current account journey.

  • This is Axis Bank’s first collaboration with a fintech company to develop a fully digital current account.

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), freelancers, homepreneurs (home-based entrepreneurs), influencers, and other clients would benefit from the Fully Digital Current Account.
Key Points:  
i.The existing Current account holders of Axis Bank will have access to over 250 banking services from Axis Bank as well as OPEN’s financial automation tools for business management.

  • Payments, accounting, payroll, compliance, expense management, and other services are among the business management tools offered by OPEN.

ii.The digital current account authentication process will be entirely online, using the PAN (permanent account number) and Aadhaar, followed by a video KYC (know your customer) process.
iii.OPEN will continue to work on integrating value-added services for users such as term loans, revenue-based finance, and more.
Open Financial Technologies Pvt Ltd (OPEN)
i.OPEN, a neo-banking platform headquartered in Bangalore, Karnataka, was founded in 2017.

  • A “neo-bank” is a kind of digital bank that does not have any physical locations. They use artificial intelligence (AI) and technology to give clients personalized services while reducing operating costs.

ii.OPEN operates the SME neo-banking platform ‘Open Money’, the embedded finance platform ‘Zwitch’, and ‘BankingStack’, the enterprise digital banking platform for banks.
iii.Open, India’s 100th Unicorn, is backed by top global investors such as IIFL Finance, Temasek, Google, Visa, and Tiger Global, among others.

  • OPEN’s digital banking platform is currently used by over 30 lakh businesses.
  • Anish Achuthan is the Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of OPEN.

About Axis Bank Limited:
MD & CEO – Amitabh Chaudhry
Establishment –1993
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Tagline – Badhti Ka Naam Zindagi

CIRIUM: Delhi & Bengaluru Among the Top 10 Performing Global Airports Of 2022According to the On-Time Performance Review 2022 released by CIRIUM, the aviation analytics company, Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru, Karnataka, and Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, Delhi, were listed among the top 10 in the Top Performing Global Airports of 2022.

  • Kempegowda International Airport is ranked 2nd and Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport is ranked 7th on the list.
  • The list is topped by Haneda Airport in Japan.
  • Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai (Maharashtra) stood at the 11th spot.

The Top Performing Global Airports of 2022:

Varanasi Cantt Railway Station Bags ‘Eat Right Station’ Certification from FSSAI

The Varanasi Cantt railway station has been awarded a 5- star ‘Eat Right Station’ certification by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for providing high quality and nutritious food to passengers. The 5-star rating indicates full compliance by the station to ensure safe and hygienic food is available to passengers.

  • The certification is part of the ‘Eat Right India’ movement- a large-scale effort by FSSAI to transform India’s food system to ensure safe, healthy and sustainable food for all Indians.
  • The other railway stations with Star certification include Anand Vihar Terminal Railway Station (Delhi); Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (Mumbai); Mumbai Central Railway Station, (Mumbai); Vadodara Railway Station, Chandigarh Railway Station and Bhopal Railway Station. 

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan presents 1st Gouriamma award to Aleida Guevara

On 5th January 2023, Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister (CM) of Kerala, presented the 1st Gouriamma award to Aleida Guevara, Cuban child rights advocate and daughter of revolutionary leader Che Guevara, at Olympia Hall at Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

  • The award recognises her efforts to rehabilitate differently abled children and provide debt relief to developing countries.
  • The award was instituted by The K.R. Gouriamma Foundation in memory of the Communist leader K.R. Gouriamma.
  • The award comprises USD 3,000, a statuette and a citation.
  • Jury: former Education Minister M.A. Baby(chair) Binoy Viswam, Member of Parliament (MP), and P.C. Beenakumari, managing trustee of the foundation.

Tropidophis cacuangoae: Scientists Discovers New Dwarf Boa in Ecuadoran Amazon

Scientists have discovered a new species of dwarf boa(snake): Tropidophis cacuangoae in the Ecuadorian Amazon, Ecuador. The new species is named after 20th century Indigenous rights activist Dolores Cacuango.
Two specimens of the species were found in the Colonso Chalupas national reserve and in the private Sumak Kawsay park.

  • The new species is 20 centimetres (7.8 inches) long, with skin colouring similar to those of the boa constrictor.
  • The species is unusual for having a “vestigial pelvis” characteristic of primitive snakes and taken as evidence by some that snakes descended from lizards that lost their limbs over millions of years.
  • The researchers’ findings were published in the European Journal of Taxonomy.

Pranesh from TN Becomes India’s 79th Chess Grandmaster; Wins Rilton Cup 2022/2023M Pranesh (16-year-old) from Tamil Nadu (TN) became India’s 79th Grandmaster (GM) after crossing the 2500 ELO rating and winning the Rilton Cup 2022/2023 held in Stockholm, Sweden.

  • The Rilton Cup is the first tournament of the FIDE circuit.
  • Pranesh is the 28th Grandmaster from Tamil Nadu(TN).

Key highlights:
i.He crossed the 2500-rating threshold and became a GM, having completed his three norms before the Rilton Cup.

  • He won his first norm at the 18th Delhi GM Open in January 2020 and claimed his second norm at the Sunway Sitges International Chess Festival in Spain in December 2021.
  • He won his third norm at the Asian Continental Chess Championship 2022.

Key Points:
i.Pranesh has been seeded 22nd, finishing ahead of IM Kaan Kucuksari (Sweden) and GM Nikita Meshkovs (Latvia).

  • He topped the Rilton Cup charts which witnessed the participation of 136 players representing 29 national federations

ii.With 6.8 circuit points Pranesh is now the early leader of the FIDE Circuit.

  • The player with most points by the end of the year qualifies for the 2024 FIDE Candidates.

iii.Grandmaster R Raja Rithvik of India finished 8th with 6 points.
Note – On 1st January 2023 Koustav Chatterjee (19-year) had become India’s 78th GM at the MPL 59th National Senior Chess in New Delhi, Delhi.
About GrandMaster (GM):
i.Grandmaster (GM) is the highest title a chess player attain and it is awarded by the world chess organisation FIDE (Fédération Internationale des Échecs –  International Chess Federation).

  • To become a GM, a player has to secure three GM norms and cross the live rating of 2,500 Elo points.

ii.The other titles by FIDE include International Master (IM), FIDE Master (FM) and Candidate Master (CD), which are open to all chess players regardless of gender.

KKCL & BCCI partners as Official Sponsor of Indian Cricket Team

Kewal Kiran Clothing Limited (KKCL), the retail giant, has announced plans to enter its flagship brand ‘Killer’ into a strategic partnership with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as the Indian Cricket Team’s “Official Sponsor”.

  • The brand will now be displayed on the Team India jersey’s right upper chest. KKCL will put on the brand Killer logo on Team India’s Kit until 31st May 2023.
  • Since 1992, KKCL, one of India’s major branded garment manufacturers, has been creating, producing, and distributing branded jeans and a variety of western clothing.
  • It also produces “Killer” jeans, a brand that has been prominently marketed on the fields of cricket. KKCL owns brands like Integriti, Lawmanpg3, Easies and Desi Belle

FIH Partners with JSW Group for 15th Edition Hockey Men’s World Cup

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has signed a partnership with the JSW Group for the upcoming 15th edition of FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela, which will be conducted between 13th January 2023 – 29th January 2023 in Odisha. The JSW Group supports and promotes Olympics in India and has created an Olympic Training Institute in the Inspire Institute of Sport. It also has Olympic training centres across India.

Veteran Sinologist Janaki Ballabh passed away in Beijing

Veteran Sinologist Janaki Ballabh, an Indian translator and writer, who translated a range of Chinese works into Hindi, passed away in Beijing, China, at the age of 94.  He lived and worked in China as a Hindi Language expert from 1956 to the years immediately following the Cultural Revolution.

  • Janaki Ballabh was born in Dalakot village in Almora in Uttarakhand and was closely associated with India’s Independence movement.
  • Noted works: ‘Selected Works’ by Mao Zedong, founder of the Communist Party of China (CPC); the Chinese classic novel ‘Journey to the West’; and works of prominent Chinese writer, essayist, poet and literary critic Lu Xun
  • He was honoured with Peace and Friendship Award 1961 by former Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai for his contributions to cultural exchange between China and India.

Sinologist – a person who studies or is an expert in the academic study of China primarily through Chinese language, literature, and history.

World Day of War Orphans 2023 – January 6World Day of War Orphans is annually observed across the globe on January 6 to create initiatives to ensure a better future for children who have been left orphaned by war and to raise awareness of the need to preserve their human rights globally.

  • The day provides a platform for discussing the problem of war orphans and emphasising the difficulties children experience as they develop emotionally, socially, and physically.

i. The French organisation SOS Enfants En Detresse (SOSEED), which aimed to better the lives of children impacted by conflict, established the World Day of War Orphans.
ii. War Orphans- A child who has lost both parents or, less commonly, one parent through civilian deaths in the war.
About the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF);
Executive Director- Catherine M. Russell
Headquarters- New York, USA
Establishment- 1946

Army Inks Pact with Assam Govt for Treatment of Ex-servicemen at Medical Colleges

On 5th January 2023 the Indian Army signed Memorandums of Agreement (MoUs)with eight government medical colleges and hospitals under the Governemnt of Assam to offer the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) in Assam. The benefits of ECHS will be offered in hospitals and colleges in Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Silchar, Jorhat, Barpeta, Tezpur, Diphu and North Lakhimpur.

  • The MoUs were signed between the Indian Army and 8 government medical colleges and hospitals in Assam in presence of Chief Minister (CM) Himanta Biswa Sarma and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Command Lt Gen RP Kalita.
  • The Assam Cancer Care Foundation (ACCF), Government of Assam and TATA Trust initiative, has also been empanelled with ECHS.
  • This scheme covers all types of diseases and will facilitate the cashless and capless treatment of almost 1.12 lakh beneficiaries.

HP CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu Launched Rs 101 crore CM’s Sukhashray Sahayata Kosh for the Needy

On 1st January 2023, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Chief Minister (CM) of Himachal Pradesh (HP), launched CM’s Sukhashray Sahayata Kosh with an outlay of Rs 101 crore for higher education for needy children especially orphans, destitute women and senior citizens with immediate effect.

  • All 40 Congress Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) have agreed to deposit their first month’s salary into the fund.
  • The Government of Himachal Pradesh will cover the costs of their skill-development education, higher education (engineering, medicine, and management), and vocational training, for destitute children.

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Current Affairs – 6 January 2023

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Cabinet Approvals on January 4, 2023On January 4, 2023, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister(PM) Narendra Modi approved the following proposals,
CCEA Approves Central Sector BIND Scheme with an Outlay of Rs. 2,539.61 Crore Up to 2025-26
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) proposal for the Central Sector Scheme “Broadcasting Infrastructure and Network Development” (BIND) at a cost of Rs. 2,539.61 crores for the infrastructure development of Prasar Bharati (Akashvani), i.e., All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan (DD).
Cabinet approves National Green Hydrogen Mission worth Rs. 19,744 crore
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, has approved the Rs. 19,744 crore National Green Hydrogen Mission, with the objective of making India a major exporter in the sector and a global hub for the production, use, and export of green hydrogen and its derivatives.
Cabinet Approves Naming of Greenfield International Airport Mopa, Goa as ‘Manohar International Airport – Mopa, Goa’
The Union Cabinet, chaired by PM Narendra Modi, has accorded ex-post facto approval for the naming of Greenfield International Airport in Mopa, Goa, as “Manohar International Airport – Mopa, Goa.”  
About SJVN Limited (formerly known as Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd):
Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) – Nand Lal Sharma
Incorporated –1988
Headquarters – Shimla, Himachal Pradesh

President assents CrPC (Gujarat Amendment) Bill, 2021 that makes violation of Sec 144 Order an OffenceThe President of India Droupadi Murmu has given her assent to the Code of Criminal Procedure (Gujarat Amendment) Bill, 2021 which empowers the administration to register criminal cases against those who are staging protests in violation of Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
What is Section 144 of CrPC?
Enacted in 1973, Section 144 empowers the magistrate of any state or union territory in India to prohibit the assembly of four or more people so that law and order can be protected in an area.
Amendment:
The CrPC (Gujarat Amendment) Bill, 2021 amended Section 195 (1) (a) (ii) which prohibits the jurisdictional courts from taking cognisance of the offences except on the complaint in writing of the public servant concerned.

  • This means public servant issuing such orders is mandated to become complainant against the violators due to which officials hesitate to enforce the law.
  • The State Assembly of Gujarat passed the bill March 2022.

Key Points:
i.According to the bill, the breach of the magisterial order will be regarded as a cognisable offence under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 188 (disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant), and a public authority can arrest an accused without a warrant.

  • The maximum punishment for violators under the Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code is 6 months jail.

ii.Before this amendment, the state (police) can only detain violators for a limited period of time
iii.Once this bill becomes law, the Gujarat government, police commissioners and district magistrates will be empowered to issue prohibitory orders, restricting any person from a certain act or for prevention of disturbance of public tranquillity or a riot or an affray to maintain public order on various occasions.
About Section 144 of CrPC:
i.As per the law, the Section 144 can be directed against a particular individual or persons residing in a particular place or area or to the general public.
ii.The order passed under Section 144 can remain in force only for two months from initiation of the order. It can be extended but not more than 6 months and have to reviewed thereafter.
iii.Violation of Section 144 is liable for a maximum of 3 years imprisonment.

World’s First Palm-Leaf Manuscript Museum opens in KeralaKerala Chief Minister(CM) Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the Palm leaf Manuscript Museum with modern audio-visual technology at the renovated Central Archives, Fort area in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

  • The Museum, promoted as “World’s First Palm-Leaf Manuscript Museum” was set up by the Archives Department in association with the Kerala Museum of History and Heritage at a cost of Rs 3 crore.

Background:
i. The museum is a repository of curious nuggets of administrative, socio-cultural and economic facets of the Travancore kingdom which lasted for 650 years till the end of the 19th century.
ii. It had been the Central Vernacular Records Office since 1887 before becoming a museum.
Key Highlights:
i. The museum is a useful resource for historical and cultural studies for both academic and non-academic researchers.
ii. The museum has 8 theme-based galleries in the museum representing segments like, “History of Writing,” “Land and People,” “Administration,” “War and Peace,” “Education and Health,” “Economy,” “Art and Culture,” and “Mathilakam Records.”
iii. The museum stores 187 manuscripts at Central Archives and the department’s regional officers in Ernakulam and Kozhikode. The manuscripts span 6 centuries From 1249 CE to 1896.

  • It will be housed in the 6,000-sq ft museum which was arranged by the Kerala government’s nodal agency for museums Keralam–Museum of History and Heritage.

iv. The Museum houses manuscripts in ancient scripts such as Vattezhuthu, Kolezhuthu, Malayanma, and ancient Tamil and Malayalam.
v. The 1st phase’s archival material was selected after sorting through a stock of carelessly stored 1.5 crore palm-leaf records from all across Kerala.

President of India Droupadi Murmu’s Visit to Rajasthan from 3 to 4 January 2023Droupadi Murmu, President of India, inaugurated and laid foundation stone for various projects during her 2 day visit to Rajasthan from 3rd to 4th January 2023.

  • She inaugurated Samvidhan Udyan at Raj Bhavan, Jaipur and met with the member of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups’ Communities of Rajasthan.
  • She also virtually inaugurated the Transmission System for Solar Energy Zones in Rajasthan and laid the foundation stone for 1000 megawatt (MW) Bikaner Solar Power Project.
  • She also participated in the launch of a National Campaign on ‘RISE-Rising India through Spiritual Empowerment’, organized by Brahma Kumaris at Mount Abu.
  • She also inaugurated the 18th National Jamboree of the Bharat Scouts and Guides in Rajasthan.

About Rajasthan:
Chief Minister(CM)– Ashok Gehlot
Governor– Kalraj Mishra
Wildlife sanctuary– Sitamata Wildlife Sanctuary; Bassi Wildlife Sanctuary
Tiger Reserve– Sariska Tiger Reserve; Mukundara Tiger Reserve

Narayan Rane Virtually Inaugurates India Made ITRS at MOPA Airport, Goa

Narayan Rane, Union Minister for Micro Small & Medium enterprises (MSME) inaugurated an India made Intelligent Tray Retrieval System (ITRS), manufactured by M/s SJK Innovations Private Limited, an MSME-Make in India Company, at MOPA (Goa) International airport, officially renamed as Manohar International Airport, Mopa, Goa. This “Made in India” ITRS system is also “Patented in India”.
The ITRS is an Artificial Intelligence (AI) based fully automatic machine with advanced screening technology that helps in providing enhanced passenger security.

  • The machine is equipped with image analysis software with advanced tools for effortless screening and also contains a dedicated module for high threat baggage that needs immediate attention at the airport.

Highlights of EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar’s Visit to the Republic of Cyprus and Austria—December 29, 2022 –January 3, 2023Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, India’s External Affairs Minister (EAM), visited the Republic of Cyprus from December 29 – 31, 2022 and the Republic of Austria from December 31, 2022 -January 3, 2023.

  • The year 2022 commemorated the 60th anniversary of India-Cyprus diplomatic ties, which were established on February 10, 1962.

i.During his visit to Cyprus, EAM witnessed the signing of agreements in a number of fields, including Defence and Military Cooperation between India & Cyprus.
ii.It was his first visit to Austria as India’s EAM, and the first such visit from India in 27 years. The visit commemorated the 75 years of India’s diplomatic ties with Austria, which were established in 1949.
iii.During EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar’s visit to Vienna, Austria, India and Austria signed a number of agreements, including ones pertaining to mobility and migration and the Working Holiday Programme.
About International Solar Alliance (ISA):
Director General– Ajay Mathur
Established – 2015
Headquarters– Gurugram, Haryana

Issues related to cards, Net Banking Top Complaint Areas at OBO: RBI Reporti.On January 4, 2023, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released the Annual Report of the Ombudsman Schemes for the period April 01, 2021 – March 31, 2022. Its details are as follows:
ii.Issues related to ATM (Automated Teller Machine)/debit cards were the highest at 14.65% of the total received at the Office of Banking Ombudsman (OBO) during April 1 to November 11, 2021.

  • These were followed by mobile/ electronic banking at 13.64%.

iii.Complaints relating to the digital modes of payment and transactions were the highest in number, constituting 42.12% of the total complaints received during the year.
iv.The volume of complaints received under the Ombudsman Schemes/Consumer Education and Protection Cells during 2021-22 increased by 9.39% at 4,18,184 as compared to FY21.
About Reserve Bank of India (RBI):
Governor– Shaktikanta Das
Deputy Governors– Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Debabrata Patra, M. Rajeshwar Rao, T. Rabi Sankar
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Establishment– 1st April 1935

Dhanlaxmi Bank launches Retail Internet Banking Services ‘DhanDelight‘ & Mobile Banking App ‘DhanSmart‘Dhanlaxmi Bank has launched its new retail internet banking ‘DhanDelight’, and retail mobile banking app ‘DhanSmart’ featuring latest information system security features to provide secure banking.

  • The new services are built on omni channel platform with multiple features covering various banking requirements.

Key Points:
i.In DhanDelight, latest UI (User Interface) and UX (User Experience) enable customers to do the financial transactions more securely.
ii.The mobile app, DhanSmart, also offers dark theme to improve visual ergonomics, reduce eye strain and helps in conserving battery power.
iii.The applications come with value-added features such as biometric authentication for mobile users, dash board for internet users, user defined themes, soft token for transaction authentication, credit card reports, online subscription of various social security and other schemes, online financial transactions and payments etc.
About Dhanlaxmi Bank:
Managing Director & CEO– Shivan J K
Headquarters– Thrissur, Kerala
Tagline– Tann Mann Dhan
Incorporated in 1927

IndusInd Bank Partners with British & Qatar Airways to Introduce Multi-branded Credit CardOn 5th January 2023, IndusInd Bank partnered with British Airways Executive Club and Qatar Airways Privilege Club to introduce the first-of-its-kind unique multi-branded credit card, powered by Visa.

  • This multi-branded credit card will be launched and made available to consumers in the first quarter of FY 2023-2024.

Key highlights:
i.The credit card will be available in the Infinite variant of Visa and offers best-in-class rewards along with multiple benefits that will elevate international travel experience of customers.
ii.Through this card, the customers are allowed to choose their preferred airline loyalty programme and select their preferred travel destination to collect maximum Avios, the rewards currency for British Airways Executive Club and Qatar Airways Privilege Club.

  • The card also offers various benefits suitable for the requirements of frequent travellers.
  • The customers can choose their preferred airline loyalty and preferred travel destinations while applying for the credit card.

About IndusInd Bank:
Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Sumant Kathpalia
Headquarters – Pune, Maharashtra
Establishment – 1994

RBI: Annapurna Finance Private Applies for Universal Bank License

On 4th January 2022, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has received an application from Bhubaneswar (Odisha) based Annapurna Finance Private Limited (AFPL), formerly known as Annapurna Microfinance Private Limited, under the Guidelines for ‘on tap’ Licensing of Universal Banks in the Private Sector issued on 1st August 2016.

  • AFPL was the only entity to apply for a universal bank licence during the quarter ended December 31, 2022.

Note – Under these guidelines large industrial houses cannot apply for bank permits. Also, eligible promoters need to have at least 10 years of experience in the financial sector.
In May 2022, RBI rejected applications from UAE Exchange and Financial Services Ltd, The Repatriates Cooperative Finance and Development Bank Ltd (REPCO Bank), Chaitanya India Fin Credit Pvt Ltd and Pankaj Vaish and others for setting up Universal Banks.

GST Revenues grow 15% to Rs 1.49 lakh crore in December 2022

India’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenues increased 15% year-on-year to Rs 1.49 lakh crore (USD 18.07 billion) in December 2022, suggesting robust economic activity during the holiday season.

  • The gross GST revenue collected during December 2022 is Rs 1,49,507 crore, of which CGST is Rs 26,711 crore, SGST is Rs 33,357 crore, IGST is Rs 78,434 crore (including Rs 40,263 crore collected on import of goods) and cess is Rs 11,005 crore (including Rs 850 crore collected on import of goods).
  • In December 2022, for the 10th consecutive month, the GST revenues exceeded Rs 1.40 lakh crore. The GST collections were about Rs 1.46 lakh crore in November 2022.

ISRO, Microsoft join hands to Empower Space-Tech Startups in IndiaOn 5th January 2023, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Microsoft India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to support and promote the growth of space technology startups in India.

  • The MoU aims to empower Indian space tech startups with technology tools and platforms, go-to-market support, and mentoring to help them scale and become enterprise ready.
  • The government has opened up the space sector for private players. More than 100 active startups are based in India and work in the space-tech sector.

Key Points:
i. The partnership aims to strengthen ISRO’s vision of utilising the market potential of India’s most innovative and successful space tech businesses.
ii. Through this collaboration, the ISRO-identified space-tech firms will be added to the Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub platform, which supports startups at every stage of their development, from idea to unicorn.

  • Through Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub, space-tech startup founders in India will have free access to the tech tools, and resources they need to build and run their businesses.
  • This also includes technical support to build and scale on Azure, best-in-class developer and productivity tools including GitHub Enterprise, Visual Studio Enterprise, and Microsoft 365, and access to smart analytics with Power BI and Dynamics 365.

iii. In addition to providing technological access, Microsoft will coach space tech entrepreneurs in a variety of fields, including cloud technologies, product and design, funding, and sales and marketing.

  • They will also have access to Microsoft Learn for tailored startup-centric training content and programs.

iv. Microsoft and ISRO will also jointly organize knowledge-sharing and thought leadership sessions for the startups with space industry experts.
About Microsoft India:
President- Anant Maheshwari
Headquarters- Hyderabad, Telangana
Establishment- 1988

Assam Govt confers Assam State Civilian Award 2023; Dr Tapan Saikia receives ‘Assam Baibhav’The Assam government has announced the list of winners of the Assam State Civilian Award 2023 which honours notable people for their admirable service to society. A total of 21 personalities were chosen for the Assam State Civilian Awards 2023.
Renowned doctor Dr Tapan Saikia was honoured with the “Assam Baibhav” for his work in the healthcare (cancer treatment) and public service sectors, which included promoting early cancer detection in Assam and other northeastern regions.

  • The Assam State Civilian Award has 3 categories: Assam Baibhav Award, Assam Saurav Award and Assam Gaurav Award.
  • The 2023 awards includes, 1 Assam Baibhav; 5 Assam Saurav; and 15 Assam Gaurav.

List of Assam State Civilian Award 2023: 

(Asom Baibhav)

(Asom Sourav)

(Asom Gourav)

About the Assam Civilian Awards:
i. The Government of Assam will present the Assam Civilian Awards on the same patterns as the Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards, the highest Civilian Awards of the Government of India, in the interest of public service and to recognise exceptional service or performance of the highest order in any field of human endeavour.

  • ‘Assam Baibhav’ carries a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh.
  • ‘Assam Saurav’ carries a cash prize of Rs 4 lakh.
  • ‘Assam Gaurav’carries a cash prize of Rs 3 Lakh.

ii. The awardees will also get Free Medical Treatment in Government hospitals and stay in paying cabins and other facilities.

Belinda Clark becomes 1st Woman Cricketer to get a Bronze Statue at SCG

On January 5, 2023, Belinda Clark, a former Australia captain, became the 1st female cricketer to get a Bronze statue unveiled at the Walk of Honour of the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in Sydney, Australia.

  • On the morning of Day 2 of the 3rd men’s Test Match between Australia and South Africa, the sculpture was unveiled by the Honorable Dame Quentin Bryce and the Premier of New South Wales, the Hon. Dominic Perrottet MP.
  • Belinda Clark is the 15th sportsperson and the 3rd woman to have a statue as part of the SCG sculpture project. The other two are sprinters Betty Cuthbert and Marlene Matthews.     

Prasanna Kumar Motupalli appointed as Chairman & MD of NLC India Ltd

On 5th January 2023, Prasanna Kumar Motupalli appointed as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of the state-run NLC India Ltd (NLCIL), a Navratna Public Sector Undertaking (PSU)under the Ministry of Coal.

  • The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Prasanna Kumar Motupalli till the date of his superannuation which is June 30, 2026.
  • Prior to this appointment, Prasanna Kumar Motupalli, Executive Director of NTPC Limited was working as the Managing Director of Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited (GSECL) on a deputation basis.       

2023 Hyderabad E-Prix: Hyderabad to host India’s 1st ABB FIA Formula E World Championship RaceHyderabad, Telangana is set to host the 2023 Hyderabad E-Prix, India’s 1st ever ABB FIA (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile) Formula E World Championship race, all-electric motorsports, on 11th February 2023.

  • The 2023 Hyderabad E-Prix is round 4 of the 17 races for the 9th Season of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
  • The 2022–23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship marks the 9th Season Championship which will be organised between January and July 2023.

The race will be held at the new Hyderabad Street Circuit alongside Hussain Sagar Lake, Hyderabad, Telangana.
About Formula E World Championship: 

  • Formula E is a showcase for the world’s most advanced e-mobility technologies that drive towards a more sustainable future.  The championship is the first Net Zero Sport since its inception.
  • The first 3 races will be held in Mexico City (1st) and Riyadh (2nd & 3rd).

Note: The Gen3- the world’s fastest, lightest, most powerful and most efficient electric race car is coming to Hyderabad for the event.
Key Points:
i. Private firm Ace Nxt Gen is the official promoter of the Formula E Race in India in partnership with Formula E and the Telangana government.

  • The partnership between Ace Nxt Gen Formula E and the Government of Telangana is 4-year long and the championship will take place in India until 2026.

ii. The Hyderabad Street Circuit, a 2.830 km (1.758 mi) street circuit, is designed by Driven International, the firm responsible for the recent changes to the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.
iii. This is India’s 1st Street Circuit Car Racing which opened on 19th November 2022.
iv. A total of 11 teams with 22 cars would be racing in the Hyderabad E-Prix in their brand-new Gen3 Formula E cars, including some of the major racing companies.
v. The new Gen3 Formula E cars are capable of a top speed of 322 kmph (Kilometer per hour).
vi. McLaren and Maserati will be joining the Formula E grid, alongside competitors like Porsche, Jaguar, Nissan and the Indian team, Mahindra.
Note: The last international racing event hosted by India was in 2013 when the country hosted the Formula 1 Indian Grand Prix at the Buddh International Circuit, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
Click here for the 2023 Race schedule.

Global Family Day 2023 – January 1

Global Family Day, also known as World Peace Day, is annually observed across the globe on January 1 to promote the concept of harmony and unity in the world.
In 1999, UN members were given the chance to mark January 1 as “Global Family Day” officially.

  • The day aims to highlight the binding force of humanity despite the religious, cultural, and linguistic differences among people worldwide.
  • The day was started in 1997, when the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) launched the International Decade for the Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World, with effect from the 1st day of the new millennium.

Cyclone Mandous: Govt Approves Rs 28.11 crore for AP Tobacco Farmers

Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, approved Rs 28.11 crore to provide immediate relief to over 28,000 flue-cured Virginia (FCV) Tobacco farmers affected by Cyclone Mandous in Andhra Pradesh (AP). The fund extends a special interest-free loan of Rs 10,000 to each member of Tobacco Boards Growers Welfare Schemes, which shall benefit around 28,112 farmers under the Southern Regions (Southern Light Soil and Southern Black Soil) of AP.

  • The interest-free loan to the eligible FCV Tobacco farmers will be administered by the Tobacco Board, a statutory body under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
  • FCV tobacco is a major commercial crop grown in 10 districts of AP with an annual production of 121 m.kg (2021-22) grown in an area of 66,000 ha. Out of the total unmanufactured tobacco exports (excluding Tobacco Refuse), FCV tobacco exports accounted for 53.62 percent in terms of quantity and 68.47 percent in terms of value during FY 2021-22.

The name, ‘Mandous’, was suggested by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2020 as a member of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).

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Current Affairs – 5 January 2023

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State-run firms to remain exempt from Minimum Public Shareholding NormsThe Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has amended the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956 which will exempt Indian state-run companies from the Minimum Public Shareholding (MPS) norm that requires listed companies to maintain a 25% public shareholding.

  • These exempted entities will be the government and public sector undertakings (PSUs) that hold together or individually majority stake from the MPS norm.

Key Points:
i.Currently, as per SEBI norms, a company is required to have a MPS of 25% within one year of the merger with/acquisition of a company or three years after listing.
ii.The exemptions from the MPS norm will be valid for a specified period even if there is a change in ownership or control after the exemption is granted
iii.Extending this exemption will encourage more investors to buy stakes in government companies.
IDBI Bank exempted from MPS
Now, with the above changes in the regulations, IDBI Bank will also be exempted from MPS. The exact period of MPS exemption for IDBI Bank will be known to shortlisted bidders when the government shares the draft share purchase agreement (SPA) with them.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh attended MoU Exchange Ceremony ‘Outreach Programme with MoE & MoSDE’ in New Delhii.On January 3, 2023, Union Minister Rajnath Singh, Ministry of Defence (MoD) attended the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Exchange Ceremony ‘Outreach Programme with Ministry of Education (MoE) & and Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MoSDE)’ in New Delhi, Delhi.
ii.The event saw the signing of MoUs and Agreements by MoD, MoE, MoSDE, Indian Army (IA), Indian Navy (IN), and Indian Air Force (IAF) with various stakeholders for the education and skill development of Agniveers.
iii.These MoUs will enable Agniveers to timely complete their education, develop additional qualities and skills while serving in the Armed Forces. These will also provide appropriate skill certificates in accordance with their expertise and experience.
About the Ministry of Defence (MoD):
Union Minister – Rajnath Singh (Constituency- Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh)
Minister of State (MoS) – Ajay Bhatt (Nainital-Udhamsingh Nagar, Uttarakhand)

NTPC Launches India’s First Green Hydrogen Blending Operation in PNG Network

NTPC Ltd. (formerly known as National Thermal Power Corporation Limited), India’s state-owned and largest energy conglomerate, has launched India’s first green hydrogen-blending operation in the piped natural gas (PNG) network of its Kawas township in Surat, Gujarat.

  • The project is a collaborative effort between NTPC Ltd and Gujarat Gas Limited (GGL) to decarbonize the cooking sector.

Backdrop
i.Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the project on July 30, 2022.
ii.The blending project would provide H2-NG (natural gas) to residents in the Kawas township of Adityanagar, Surat.

  • Green hydrogen is generated in Kawas by electrolysis of water utilising power from a 1 MW (megawatt) floating solar project.

Key Points:
i.P. Ram Prasad, Head of the project, Kawas, launched the first molecule of green hydrogen.

  • NTPC Kawas also hosted awareness workshops for township residents upon the launch of the blending operation.

ii.The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB), has approved a 5% volume/volume blending of green hydrogen with PNG to begin, with the blending level gradually increasing to 20% in a phased manner.

  • Green hydrogen, when combined with natural gas, lowers carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions while maintaining the same net heating content.

iii.With this accomplishment, India has joined a select group of nations that includes Australia, Germany, and the United Kingdom (UK) and is now at the centre of the world’s hydrogen economy.
iv.As a result, India would be able to export green hydrogen and green chemicals to the world at large, reducing its dependence on hydrocarbon imports and earning foreign exchange (forex).
About the NTPC Ltd (formerly National Thermal Power Corporation Limited):
Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) – Gurdeep Singh
Established – 1975
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi

Manipur: Zeliangrong Community Celebrates Gaan Ngai Festival on 4th January 2023On 4th January 2023, the Zeliangrong or Kabui Community of Manipur celebrates the Gaan-Ngai festival to bring peace, prosperity and unity to the people of Manipur. The festival also marks the beginning of the new year and bids farewell to the old year.

Chief Minister(CM) of Manipur Nongthombam Biren Singh and Governor of Manipur La Ganesan greeted the people of Zeliangrong or Kabui Community on the occasion of the Gaan-Ngai festival.
Gaan-Ngai festival: 
i.Gaan-Ngai festival is one of the biggest cultural and religious post-harvest festivals of the Zeliangrong community that marks the end of the year when the farmers stores their harvest in their granaries.
ii.The festival is celebrated by all non-Christian villages of Zeliangrong tribes which includes, Zeme, Liangmei, Rongmei, Kabui, Inpui and others living in Assam, Manipur and Nagaland.
About the  Zeliangrong Naga tribe:
i.Zeliangrong Naga tribe (comprising of Rongmei, Liangmei, Zemei and Pumei) are Tibeto-Burman (Indo-Mongoloid) of the Sino-Tibetan family of the Mongolian race.
ii.They are one of the major indigenous Naga communities living in the tri-junction of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland in India.
iii.The term Zeliangrong was coined on 15 February 1947 in Imphal, Manipur by combining the first syllables of the names of the three sub. ethnic groups: Ze, Liang, and Rong.
iv.It is classified as an ethno-cultural entity.
About Manipur: 
Chief Minister– Nongthombam Biren Singh
Governor– La Ganesan
Wildlife sanctuary -Khongjaingamba Ching Wildlife Sanctuary
Zoological park– Manipur Zoological Garden

PM Narendra Modi addresses 108th Indian Science Congress through Video ConferencingOn 3rd January 2023, Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister(PM) of India, virtually inaugurated and addressed the 108th edition of the Indian Science Congress (ISC), also known as ISC 2023, organised at Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj (RTM) Nagpur University, Nagpur, Maharashtra.

  • 108th ISC is a 5-day event, held from 3rd January 2023 to 7th January 2023.
  • 2023 also marks the centenary celebration of RTM Nagpur University.

The focal theme of the ISC 2023 is “Science and Technology for Sustainable Development with Women Empowerment”.

  • The theme will centre on sustainable development, women’s empowerment, and the contribution of science and technology to these goals.

Note: The 108th ISC was scheduled to be held in 2021 and then in 2022, which was cancelled twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Background:
i. The ISC Association was founded in 1914 in Kolkata and held a meeting every year during the 1st week of January. It has a membership of more than 30,000 scientists.
ii. The 1st session of the Indian Science Congress was held from January 15-17 in 1914 at the Asiatic Society in Calcutta (now Kolkata), West Bengal.
Highlights: 
i. The key highlight of ISC is sustainable development with inclusive involvement of all sections of society including women.
ii. Narendra Modi emphasised the importance of India’s scientific strength in India’s story of development over the next 25 years.
iii. He highlighted the abundant availability of data and technology in 21st-century India, which has the potential to take Indian science to new heights.
iv. He emphasised the benefits of partnerships with R&D labs and academic institutions for private companies and startups.
Key Points:
i. PM Narendra Modi noted that India is being counted among the top countries of the world as India moved to 40th place in the Global Innovation Index in 2022 from 81st place in 2015.

  • India is ranked 3rd  in terms of the number of Doctors of Philosophy (PhDs) and startup ecosystems, followed by the United States (US) and China.

ii. The session is focused on sustainable development with inclusive involvement of all sections of society including women, and deliberate on holistic growth, reviewed economics, and sustainable goals.
iii. PM Narendra Modi noted that on the initiative of PM Modi and the proposal of the Government of India, the United Nations(UN) declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets.

ADB, India sign $220 million loan pact to Strengthen Power Sector in Tripura

On January 3, 2023, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India (GoI) signed a $220 million loan pact for Tripura Power Distribution Strengthening and Generation Efficiency Improvement Project.

  • The loan amount will be utilized towards improving energy security, quality of supply, efficiency, and resilience of power sector in Tripura.

Signatories:
Rajat Kumar Mishra, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Finance signed for GoI, and Hoe Yun Jeong, Officer-in-Charge of ADB’s India Resident Mission, signed for ADB.
Key Points:
i.The project will support the Government of Tripura’s efforts to strengthen its power sector through replacement of inefficient power plants, strengthen the distribution network and installation of smart meters that will help in increasing generation capacity, reduce distribution losses and to meet the increasing electricity demand.
ii.The Project will also fund the replacement of Rokhia power plant with a highly efficient combined cycle gas turbine that will reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHGs).
iii.The project will support at least 15 selected women self-help groups (SHGs) under Tripura rural livelihood mission.
iv.The project components will be designed to withstand heavy rainfall, lightning, and storms.
v.The distribution underground cabling will be installed by the horizontal directional drilling method or tunneling method to minimize road openings and reduce socio-environmental impacts during project implementation.
For Other Loan agreements of ADB with Indian States, Click Here.

ICICI Bank Introduces First-of-its-Kind Digital Solutions for ExportersIn a first-of-its-kind industry initiative, ICICI Bank Limited, a leading private sector bank in India, has launched Digital Solutions For Exporters, a comprehensive set of banking and value-added services on a single platform.

  • The initiative intends to improve operational efficiency of exporters by decongesting the current time-consuming manual procedures.

Significance
i.The set of solutions digitizes every stage of the export process, including market research, export financing, foreign exchange (forex) services, and receiving export incentives.
ii.Additionally, the package of solutions provides first-in-the-industry features including Trade APIs (Application Programming Interface) and instant disbursal of Export Packing Credits (Insta EPC).
Key Services and Offerings of the Digital Solutions for Exporters

i.Exporters with an ICICI Bank relationship will benefit from the ease of instant and digital Export Packing Credit (EPC).

  • This service is available for export-import transactions through ‘Trade Online’, the flagship digital platform of ICICI Bank.


i.ICICI Bank provides Trade APIs, a future-ready industry-first solution for the seamless handling of export bills.

  • APIs include Remittances, Letters of Credit, and Bank Guarantees.

About the ICICI Bank Limited:
Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Sandeep Bakhshi
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Establishment – 1994

Aegon Life Insurance Launches iTerm Prime Insurance Plan Aegon Life Insurance has launched the “iTerm Prime” insurance plan, which will fulfill the requirements of self-employed individuals by offering a special 10% discount (5% discount in addition to the 5% online discount for all) on the first-year premium.
Key Features of iTerm Prime
i.The flagship term insurance plan, iTerm Prime, gives a minimum sum assured for a life cover of Rs. 25 lakhs with no maximum limit on a consumer’s requirement.
ii.The minimum entry age is 18 years, while the maximum age for regular pay is 65 years and 50 years for limited pay.

  • In the regular payment mode, the premium must be paid throughout the policy term.
  • In limited pay, premiums can be paid for a fixed period of time while receiving policy coverage until the age of 70.

iii.To make the product more affordable to the end user, a special discount and flexible payment options have been provided.

  • The product is available for purchase through Aegon Life’s website and its partners in a completely paperless method that requires no documents or uploads.
  • Permanent Account N​umber (PAN), Aadhaar, or a driver’s licence are the only documents required to purchase insurance.

iv.The product also has a “Special Exit Value” (SEV) option, which allows the policyholder to get a refund of all premiums when they reach the age of 55.

  • The entry age for this is 40 years, and the policy term is till 70 years.
  • The policy provides a 15–30-day grace period for premium payments.

v.Additionally, the policy offers unique add-on features including Critical Illness Rider and Accidental Death Benefit Rider.
Key Points:
i.iTerm Prime is intended to promote life insurance access in emerging India.
ii.It digitizes underwriting and simplifies buying journeys, making insurance available to under-insured self-employed individuals, who make up the majority of India’s working population.

  • The number of self-employed people in India stood at 333 million in 2021.

About Aegon Life Insurance:
Aegon Life Insurance Company is a joint venture (JV) between Bennett, Coleman and Co. Ltd. (BCCL), and Aegon NV.

  • BCCL is the largest media conglomerate in India and also known as the Times Group.
  • Aegon NV is a major international provider of life insurance, pensions, and asset management services.

MD and CEO – Satishwar Balakrishnan
Established – 2007
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra

GA-ASI partners with Bharat Forge to Manufacture Aerostructures in India

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), a subsidiary of General Atomics(GA) based in San Diego, California, United States of America(USA), has partnered with Bharat Forge Limited, a part of Kalyani Group, to manufacture aerostructures – main landing gear components, subassemblies, and assemblies of remotely piloted aircraft in India.
About the partnership:
i.The partnership aims to support the development of a manufacturing ecosystem for high-end drones.
ii.The partnership between GA and Bharat Forge aims to enhance the capacity building of both companies and provide momentum to the large unmanned aircraft industry of India.
iii.Under this partnership, GA-ASI will work with Bharat Forge in the critical field of aerospace manufacturing.
iv.Bharat Forger will offer full-service supply capability from concept to product design, engineering, manufacturing testing and validation.

Current Affairs Daily Digest – 5 January 2023

Last updated: Fri Jan 06 2023

State-run firms to remain exempt from Minimum Public Shareholding NormsThe Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has amended the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956 which will exempt Indian state-run companies from the Minimum Public Shareholding (MPS) norm that requires listed companies to maintain a 25% public shareholding.

  • These exempted entities will be the government and public sector undertakings (PSUs) that hold together or individually majority stake from the MPS norm.

Key Points:
i.Currently, as per SEBI norms, a company is required to have a MPS of 25% within one year of the merger with/acquisition of a company or three years after listing.
ii.The exemptions from the MPS norm will be valid for a specified period even if there is a change in ownership or control after the exemption is granted
iii.Extending this exemption will encourage more investors to buy stakes in government companies.
IDBI Bank exempted from MPS
Now, with the above changes in the regulations, IDBI Bank will also be exempted from MPS. The exact period of MPS exemption for IDBI Bank will be known to shortlisted bidders when the government shares the draft share purchase agreement (SPA) with them.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh attended MoU Exchange Ceremony ‘Outreach Programme with MoE & MoSDE’ in New Delhii.On January 3, 2023, Union Minister Rajnath Singh, Ministry of Defence (MoD) attended the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Exchange Ceremony ‘Outreach Programme with Ministry of Education (MoE) & and Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MoSDE)’ in New Delhi, Delhi.
ii.The event saw the signing of MoUs and Agreements by MoD, MoE, MoSDE, Indian Army (IA), Indian Navy (IN), and Indian Air Force (IAF) with various stakeholders for the education and skill development of Agniveers.
iii.These MoUs will enable Agniveers to timely complete their education, develop additional qualities and skills while serving in the Armed Forces. These will also provide appropriate skill certificates in accordance with their expertise and experience.
About the Ministry of Defence (MoD):
Union Minister – Rajnath Singh (Constituency- Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh)
Minister of State (MoS) – Ajay Bhatt (Nainital-Udhamsingh Nagar, Uttarakhand)

NTPC Launches India’s First Green Hydrogen Blending Operation in PNG Network

NTPC Ltd. (formerly known as National Thermal Power Corporation Limited), India’s state-owned and largest energy conglomerate, has launched India’s first green hydrogen-blending operation in the piped natural gas (PNG) network of its Kawas township in Surat, Gujarat.

  • The project is a collaborative effort between NTPC Ltd and Gujarat Gas Limited (GGL) to decarbonize the cooking sector.

Backdrop
i.Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the project on July 30, 2022.
ii.The blending project would provide H2-NG (natural gas) to residents in the Kawas township of Adityanagar, Surat.

  • Green hydrogen is generated in Kawas by electrolysis of water utilising power from a 1 MW (megawatt) floating solar project.

Key Points:
i.P. Ram Prasad, Head of the project, Kawas, launched the first molecule of green hydrogen.

  • NTPC Kawas also hosted awareness workshops for township residents upon the launch of the blending operation.

ii.The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB), has approved a 5% volume/volume blending of green hydrogen with PNG to begin, with the blending level gradually increasing to 20% in a phased manner.

  • Green hydrogen, when combined with natural gas, lowers carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions while maintaining the same net heating content.

iii.With this accomplishment, India has joined a select group of nations that includes Australia, Germany, and the United Kingdom (UK) and is now at the centre of the world’s hydrogen economy.
iv.As a result, India would be able to export green hydrogen and green chemicals to the world at large, reducing its dependence on hydrocarbon imports and earning foreign exchange (forex).
About the NTPC Ltd (formerly National Thermal Power Corporation Limited):
Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) – Gurdeep Singh
Established – 1975
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi

Manipur: Zeliangrong Community Celebrates Gaan Ngai Festival on 4th January 2023On 4th January 2023, the Zeliangrong or Kabui Community of Manipur celebrates the Gaan-Ngai festival to bring peace, prosperity and unity to the people of Manipur. The festival also marks the beginning of the new year and bids farewell to the old year.

Chief Minister(CM) of Manipur Nongthombam Biren Singh and Governor of Manipur La Ganesan greeted the people of Zeliangrong or Kabui Community on the occasion of the Gaan-Ngai festival.
Gaan-Ngai festival: 
i.Gaan-Ngai festival is one of the biggest cultural and religious post-harvest festivals of the Zeliangrong community that marks the end of the year when the farmers stores their harvest in their granaries.
ii.The festival is celebrated by all non-Christian villages of Zeliangrong tribes which includes, Zeme, Liangmei, Rongmei, Kabui, Inpui and others living in Assam, Manipur and Nagaland.
About the  Zeliangrong Naga tribe:
i.Zeliangrong Naga tribe (comprising of Rongmei, Liangmei, Zemei and Pumei) are Tibeto-Burman (Indo-Mongoloid) of the Sino-Tibetan family of the Mongolian race.
ii.They are one of the major indigenous Naga communities living in the tri-junction of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland in India.
iii.The term Zeliangrong was coined on 15 February 1947 in Imphal, Manipur by combining the first syllables of the names of the three sub. ethnic groups: Ze, Liang, and Rong.
iv.It is classified as an ethno-cultural entity.
About Manipur: 
Chief Minister– Nongthombam Biren Singh
Governor– La Ganesan
Wildlife sanctuary -Khongjaingamba Ching Wildlife Sanctuary
Zoological park– Manipur Zoological Garden

PM Narendra Modi addresses 108th Indian Science Congress through Video ConferencingOn 3rd January 2023, Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister(PM) of India, virtually inaugurated and addressed the 108th edition of the Indian Science Congress (ISC), also known as ISC 2023, organised at Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj (RTM) Nagpur University, Nagpur, Maharashtra.

  • 108th ISC is a 5-day event, held from 3rd January 2023 to 7th January 2023.
  • 2023 also marks the centenary celebration of RTM Nagpur University.

The focal theme of the ISC 2023 is “Science and Technology for Sustainable Development with Women Empowerment”.

  • The theme will centre on sustainable development, women’s empowerment, and the contribution of science and technology to these goals.

Note: The 108th ISC was scheduled to be held in 2021 and then in 2022, which was cancelled twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Background:
i. The ISC Association was founded in 1914 in Kolkata and held a meeting every year during the 1st week of January. It has a membership of more than 30,000 scientists.
ii. The 1st session of the Indian Science Congress was held from January 15-17 in 1914 at the Asiatic Society in Calcutta (now Kolkata), West Bengal.
Highlights: 
i. The key highlight of ISC is sustainable development with inclusive involvement of all sections of society including women.
ii. Narendra Modi emphasised the importance of India’s scientific strength in India’s story of development over the next 25 years.
iii. He highlighted the abundant availability of data and technology in 21st-century India, which has the potential to take Indian science to new heights.
iv. He emphasised the benefits of partnerships with R&D labs and academic institutions for private companies and startups.
Key Points:
i. PM Narendra Modi noted that India is being counted among the top countries of the world as India moved to 40th place in the Global Innovation Index in 2022 from 81st place in 2015.

  • India is ranked 3rd  in terms of the number of Doctors of Philosophy (PhDs) and startup ecosystems, followed by the United States (US) and China.

ii. The session is focused on sustainable development with inclusive involvement of all sections of society including women, and deliberate on holistic growth, reviewed economics, and sustainable goals.
iii. PM Narendra Modi noted that on the initiative of PM Modi and the proposal of the Government of India, the United Nations(UN) declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets.

ADB, India sign $220 million loan pact to Strengthen Power Sector in Tripura

On January 3, 2023, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India (GoI) signed a $220 million loan pact for Tripura Power Distribution Strengthening and Generation Efficiency Improvement Project.

  • The loan amount will be utilized towards improving energy security, quality of supply, efficiency, and resilience of power sector in Tripura.

Signatories:
Rajat Kumar Mishra, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Finance signed for GoI, and Hoe Yun Jeong, Officer-in-Charge of ADB’s India Resident Mission, signed for ADB.
Key Points:
i.The project will support the Government of Tripura’s efforts to strengthen its power sector through replacement of inefficient power plants, strengthen the distribution network and installation of smart meters that will help in increasing generation capacity, reduce distribution losses and to meet the increasing electricity demand.
ii.The Project will also fund the replacement of Rokhia power plant with a highly efficient combined cycle gas turbine that will reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHGs).
iii.The project will support at least 15 selected women self-help groups (SHGs) under Tripura rural livelihood mission.
iv.The project components will be designed to withstand heavy rainfall, lightning, and storms.
v.The distribution underground cabling will be installed by the horizontal directional drilling method or tunneling method to minimize road openings and reduce socio-environmental impacts during project implementation.
For Other Loan agreements of ADB with Indian States, Click Here.

ICICI Bank Introduces First-of-its-Kind Digital Solutions for ExportersIn a first-of-its-kind industry initiative, ICICI Bank Limited, a leading private sector bank in India, has launched Digital Solutions For Exporters, a comprehensive set of banking and value-added services on a single platform.

  • The initiative intends to improve operational efficiency of exporters by decongesting the current time-consuming manual procedures.

Significance
i.The set of solutions digitizes every stage of the export process, including market research, export financing, foreign exchange (forex) services, and receiving export incentives.
ii.Additionally, the package of solutions provides first-in-the-industry features including Trade APIs (Application Programming Interface) and instant disbursal of Export Packing Credits (Insta EPC).
Key Services and Offerings of the Digital Solutions for Exporters

i.Exporters with an ICICI Bank relationship will benefit from the ease of instant and digital Export Packing Credit (EPC).

  • This service is available for export-import transactions through ‘Trade Online’, the flagship digital platform of ICICI Bank.


i.ICICI Bank provides Trade APIs, a future-ready industry-first solution for the seamless handling of export bills.

  • APIs include Remittances, Letters of Credit, and Bank Guarantees.

About the ICICI Bank Limited:
Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Sandeep Bakhshi
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Establishment – 1994

Aegon Life Insurance Launches iTerm Prime Insurance Plan Aegon Life Insurance has launched the “iTerm Prime” insurance plan, which will fulfill the requirements of self-employed individuals by offering a special 10% discount (5% discount in addition to the 5% online discount for all) on the first-year premium.
Key Features of iTerm Prime
i.The flagship term insurance plan, iTerm Prime, gives a minimum sum assured for a life cover of Rs. 25 lakhs with no maximum limit on a consumer’s requirement.
ii.The minimum entry age is 18 years, while the maximum age for regular pay is 65 years and 50 years for limited pay.

  • In the regular payment mode, the premium must be paid throughout the policy term.
  • In limited pay, premiums can be paid for a fixed period of time while receiving policy coverage until the age of 70.

iii.To make the product more affordable to the end user, a special discount and flexible payment options have been provided.

  • The product is available for purchase through Aegon Life’s website and its partners in a completely paperless method that requires no documents or uploads.
  • Permanent Account N​umber (PAN), Aadhaar, or a driver’s licence are the only documents required to purchase insurance.

iv.The product also has a “Special Exit Value” (SEV) option, which allows the policyholder to get a refund of all premiums when they reach the age of 55.

  • The entry age for this is 40 years, and the policy term is till 70 years.
  • The policy provides a 15–30-day grace period for premium payments.

v.Additionally, the policy offers unique add-on features including Critical Illness Rider and Accidental Death Benefit Rider.
Key Points:
i.iTerm Prime is intended to promote life insurance access in emerging India.
ii.It digitizes underwriting and simplifies buying journeys, making insurance available to under-insured self-employed individuals, who make up the majority of India’s working population.

  • The number of self-employed people in India stood at 333 million in 2021.

About Aegon Life Insurance:
Aegon Life Insurance Company is a joint venture (JV) between Bennett, Coleman and Co. Ltd. (BCCL), and Aegon NV.

  • BCCL is the largest media conglomerate in India and also known as the Times Group.
  • Aegon NV is a major international provider of life insurance, pensions, and asset management services.

MD and CEO – Satishwar Balakrishnan
Established – 2007
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra

GA-ASI partners with Bharat Forge to Manufacture Aerostructures in India

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), a subsidiary of General Atomics(GA) based in San Diego, California, United States of America(USA), has partnered with Bharat Forge Limited, a part of Kalyani Group, to manufacture aerostructures – main landing gear components, subassemblies, and assemblies of remotely piloted aircraft in India.
About the partnership:
i.The partnership aims to support the development of a manufacturing ecosystem for high-end drones.
ii.The partnership between GA and Bharat Forge aims to enhance the capacity building of both companies and provide momentum to the large unmanned aircraft industry of India.
iii.Under this partnership, GA-ASI will work with Bharat Forge in the critical field of aerospace manufacturing.
iv.Bharat Forger will offer full-service supply capability from concept to product design, engineering, manufacturing testing and validation.

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Current Affairs – 4 January 2023

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MHA constitutes HPC Chaired by MoS Nityanand Rai to protect Ladakh’s Culture, Language & Employment The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has constituted a 17-member High Powered Committee (HPC) to discuss measures for the protection of Ladakh’s unique culture, language and employment.

  • It will be chaired by Minister of State (MoS) Nityanand Rai, MHA.

Members:
Its members will include Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Radha Krishna Mathur, MP (Member of Parliament) Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, Chairmans of Leh and Kargil Hill councils, representatives of Apex Body Leh, Kargil Democratic Alliance and nominee officials of MHA.
Responsibilities of the committee:
i.To discuss the protections of Culture and Language considering the geographical location and strategic importance of Ladakh.
ii.To discuss the protections to land and employment for the people, inclusive development, employment generation, and measures related to empowerment of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils of Leh and Kargil.
Why is this protection required?
This development follows the months of protest in Ladakh over the protection of the rights of the Ladakhi people after the revocation of special status to Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) in August 2019 and the carving out of Ladakh as a separate Union Territory (UT).

  • After this, the civil society and political groups in Ladakh have been demanding inclusion under the 6th schedule of the Constitution.

About the 6th Schedule of the Constitution:
It protects tribal populations by providing autonomy to the communities through the creation of autonomous development councils which can frame laws on land, public health, and agriculture to protect land, employment and cultural identity of a particular state or UT.

  • As of now, 10 autonomous councils exist in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.

GoI Introduces National Geospatial Policy 2022 On 28th December 2022, the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoS&T) notified the ‘National Geospatial Policy, 2022’ for implementation with immediate effect. The policy was notified following the liberalising of the usage of geospatial data under the draft Geospatial Data Policy in February 2021.

  • The Government of India (GoI) has now defined a 13-year guideline for the growth of India’s geospatial data industry, including the creation of a national framework for using geospatial data to improve citizen services and other initiatives.

National Geospatial Policy 2022
i.The National Geospatial Policy, 2022 is a citizen-focused policy that aims to strengthen the geospatial sector to support national development, economic prosperity, and a growing information economy.
ii.The GoI proposes to establish an “Integrated Data and Information Framework” (IDIF) under which a “Geospatial Knowledge Infrastructure” (GKI) will be developed by 2030.
iii.The policy also calls for the establishment of a national apex body, the Geospatial Data Promotion and Development Committee (GDPDC).
About the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoS&T):
Minister of State (Independent Charge) – Dr. Jitendra Singh (Udhampur Constituency – Jammu and Kashmir)
Departments under MoS&T – Department of Biotechnology; Department of Science and Technology (DST) & Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR)

NCISM & CCRAS Launches ‘SMART’ Programme to Boost R&D in Ayurveda

On 2nd January 2023, The National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) and the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) launched the SMART (Scope for Mainstreaming Ayurveda Research in Teaching Professionals) programme. 

The programme aims to identify, support and promote innovative scientific research in priority healthcare research areas like Osteoarthritis, Iron Deficiency Anaemia, Chronic Bronchitis, Dyslipidemia, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Obesity, Diabetes Mellitus, Psoriasis, Generalised Anxiety Disorder, Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) through Ayurveda colleges and hospitals.

  • The program was launched by Vaidya Jayant Deopujari, Chairman, NCISM and Prof. Rabinarayan Acharya, Director General, CCRAS in the presence of Prof. B. S. Prasad, President of Board of Ayurveda, NCISM and other senior officials.
  • NCISM and CCRAS are the institutes under the Ministry of AYUSH for regulating medical education and conducting scientific research respectively.

KMRC: India’s First Underwater Metro Services to be Operational by December 2023

The Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC) announced that the East-West Metro Corridor project, India’s first underwater metro service, in Kolkata will be completed by December 2023. The 16.6 km corridor will run through the Hooghly river, connecting Howrah and Kolkata Sealdah railway stations including the north-south line of the Kolkata Metro at Esplanade. This will reduce the travel time from 90 minutes to 40 minutes.

  • The 520-metre-long tunnel under the river Hooghly is a part of Kolkata’s East-West Metro Corridor. The metro trains will take just 45 seconds to cross the 520-metre tunnel.
  • The tunnel is built at the cost of Rs 120 crore per kilometre. The completion cost of the East-West Metro Corridor Project has been estimated at Rs. 8,575 crore.

SBI, HDFC & ICICI Banks in the RBIs 2022 list of D-SIBsOn January 2, 2023, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released the 2022 list of Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs) based on the data from March 31, 2022. In this, State Bank of India (SBI), ICICI Bank, and HDFC Bank kept the status as D-SIBs, under the same bucketing structure as in the 2021 list of D-SIBs.

  • D-SIBs are interconnected entities, whose failure can impact the whole of the financial system and create instability. They are also known s ‘too-big-to fail’ banks.

Highlight:
i.SBI will be in the 3rd bucket with an Additional Common Equity Tier (CET)- 1 requirement as a percentage of Risk Weighted Assets (RWAs) of 0.60%.
ii.ICICI Bank, and HDFC Bank will be in the 1st  bucket with an Additional CET-1 requirement as a percentage of RWAs of 0.20%.
Table showing list of D-SIBs with Additional CET1 capital requirement:

Bucket

Banks

(as a percentage of RWAs)

  • It has to maintain an additional CET1 capital surcharge in India as applicable to it as a G-SIB, proportionate to its RWAs in India.

How D-SIBs are Selected and Assessed?

i.The D-SIBs will be selected by RBI based on the size of the bank as a percentage of GDP(Gross Domestic Product) i.e the banks having a size beyond 2% of GDP.
ii.The selected D-SIBs are assessed through the 4 indicators of Size, Interconnectedness, Lack of readily available substitutes or financial institution infrastructure, and
Complexity

HDFC Bank Partners with Microsoft as Part of its Digital Transformation JourneyHDFC Bank partnered with Microsoft for the next phase of its digital transformation journey and unlocked business value by transforming the application portfolio, modernising the data landscape and securing the enterprise with Microsoft Cloud.

  • HDFC Bank as a part of its Future Ready strategy is developing in-house IPs and also partnering with several companies including FinTechs’ to co-create technology IPs.

Yes Bank Partners with Microsoft to Transform Mobile Banking Experience
On 3rd January 2023 Yes Bank partnered with Microsoft to introduce the next generation mobile application (app) for providing personalised banking experience to its customers.
About Microsoft India:
President – Anant Maheshwari
India Country Manager – Ashutosh Gupta
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi
Establishment – 1990 (in India)

India Accelerator Partners with ICICI Bank & Infosys Finacle to Foster Start-Up EcosystemIndia Accelerator (IA), a seed-stage accelerator programme, has launched “i3 Launchpad,” which was developed in partnership with ICICI Bank and Infosys Finacle, which is part of EdgeVerve Systems, a wholly-owned product subsidiary of Infosys.
‘i3 Launchpad’ Program
“i3 Launchpad” is a programme that fosters and co-innovate with India’s start-up ecosystem.

  • Objective: To support a network of entrepreneurs on a quest to develop brands with global impact.
  • It is intended to assist start-ups in expediting their progress by utilising mentorship, resources, and opportunities from Infosys Finacle, ICICI Bank, and IA.

Key Points:
i.The i3 Launchpad programme accepts start-ups from all sectors of the economy.

  • It will admit two cohorts annually, with a target of 12 to 18 start-ups in each cohort.

ii.The first cohort will concentrate on the Fintech (Financial Technology), enterprise tech, Software as a Service (SaaS), PropTech (Property Technology), WealthTech (Wealth Technology), sustainability and GreenTech, and InsurTech (Insurance Technology) sectors.

  • A combination of both remote and in-person group learning sessions is available to founders.

iii.The collaboration among the IA, ICICI Bank, and Infosys Finacle will assist fintech start-ups to accelerate their growth and impact in an organised manner.
About India Accelerator (IA):
India Accelerator (IA) is India’s only mentorship-driven, Global Accelerator Network (GAN)-partnered programme that assists Startups in realising their full potential.
Founder & MD – Ashish Bhatia
Headquarters – Gurugram, Haryana
Founded – 2017

Niva Bupa Insurance inks Corporate Agency Pact with Sundaram Finance

Niva Bupa Health Insurance Company Limited (formerly Max Bupa Health Insurance Company), a standalone health insurer, has signed a Corporate Agency Agreement with Sundaram Finance Limited, a diversified financial services group.

  • According to the agreement, Sundaram Finance will provide a limited selection of Niva Bupa’s indemnity plans to an increasing range of its current and former clients.
  • As part of this agreement, Sundaram Finance will reach out to clients using its network of more than 640 locations across India.

Bandhan Bank launches ‘Jahaan Bandhan, Wahaan Trust’ campaign featuring Sourav Ganguly

On 3rd January 2023, Bandhan Bank launched its integrated marketing campaign ‘Jahaan Bandhan, Wahaan Trust’ featuring the Bank’s brand ambassador, cricketing legend, Sourav Ganguly.
The ‘Jahaan Bandhan, Wahaan Trust’ campaign was conceived by Leo Burnett Orchard, who was brought in as Bandhan Bank’s creative agency in August 2022.

  • The campaign emphasises the ‘trust’ that the brand has been able to earn in a span of seven years as a Bank and over the last two decades in the various avatars prior to the Bank.
  • The campaign uses the analogy of Ganguly’s career, who became the bank’s customer soon after the bank was launched 7 years ago.

Note: According to the company, this is the 1st time Bandhan Bank has appointed a pan-India brand ambassador.

India’s external debt at $610 billion in Q2 FY23; declines by $2.3 billionAs per the figures from the Ministry of Finance, India’s external debt stood at USD 610.5 billion in Q2 FY23 (July-September 2022) showing a decrease of USD 2.3 billion from Q1 FY23 (April to June 2022).

  • The external debt to GDP (Gross Domestic Product) ratio stood at 19.2% at the end of Q2FY23 as compared to 19.3% at end of Q1FY23.

Key Points:
i.Valuation gains were USD 10.6 billion.
ii.Excluding the valuation effect, the increase in external debt would have been USD 8.3 billion instead of a decrease of USD 2.3 billion at end Q2FY22 over end Q1FY22.
iii.At end Q2FY22, long-term debt (with original maturity of above one year) was placed at USD 478.7 billion, a decline of USD 8 billion over Q1FY22.
iv.The share of short-term debt (with an original maturity of up to one year) in total external debt increased to 21.6% at Q2FY22 from 20.6% in Q1FY23.
v.The United States (US) dollar denominated debt remained the largest component of India’s external debt, with a share of 55.5% at end of Q2FY22, followed by the Indian rupee (30.2%), Special Drawing Rights (SDR) (6.1%), yen (4.9%), and the euro (2.6%).

Granules India Partners with Greenko ZeroC for Green Molecule Solutions

Granules India Limited has entered a strategic partnership with Greenko Group, backed by GIC Holdings Pte Ltd, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and Japan’s ORIX Corporation to collaborate for first-of-its-kind green molecule solutions. Both shall develop and promote built-in green pharmaceutical zones (GPZ) with a primary collaboration in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, mentioned in a regulatory submission from Granules.

  • Under the partnership, Greenko ZeroC will provide carbon free power and allow green hydrogen with varied chemical derivatives. Granules would utilise carbon free power and green hydrogen derivatives to provide worth added merchandise resembling DCDA, PAP, Paracetamol, Metformin, different APIs and intermediates.

BCCI Releases Names of India’s Best Players of 2022 in all 3 FormatsOn 31st December 2022, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) released the names of the players who were the best performers of  Team India across all 3 formats – One Day Internationals (ODIs), T20 and Test in 2022.
Team India’s Best Performers 2022:

Canara Bank MD & CEO L V Prabhakar Retires On 31st December 2022, Lingam Venkata Prabhakar, the Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Canara Bank retired from his services, on attaining the age of superannuation.
About L V Prabhakar:
i. L. V. Prabhakar has over 34 years of extensive banking experience spanning a variety of fields.
ii. Before joining Canara Bank, he served as the Executive Director of Punjab National Bank (PNB) and was in charge of several verticals live Credit, Treasury and Human Resources of PNB.
iii. He also served as the Chairman of Canara Robeco Asset Management Co. Ltd, Canara HSBC OBC Insurance Company Ltd & Canfin Homes Ltd and the Chairman of the IBA Standing Committee on Payment Systems & Banking Technology.
iv. He is a member (Vice-President) of Governing Council of the Indian Institute of Banking & Finance (IIBF) & National Institute of Bank Management (NIBM).
v. By launching projects like the Stressed Assets Management Vertical and the Digitization of Trade Finance, he also played a crucial role in strengthening systems and processes.
vi. Also, he has held positions on the boards of PNB Housing Finance Limited, PNB Metlife India Insurance, and Everest Bank Ltd. of Nepal.
About Canara Bank:
Non-Executive Chairman- Vijay Srirangan
Headquarters- Bengaluru, Karnataka
Establishment- 1906
Tagline- Together we can

BharatPe CEO Suhail Sameer Steps Down & CFO Nalin Negi appointed interim CEOSuhail Sameer, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of BharatPe, a Fintech startup, has announced has resigned from the CEO position and will transition into strategic adviser with effect from 7th January 2023.

  • Nalin Negi, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of BharatPe, is set to take over as the interim CEO of BharatPe.

BharatPe also revealed that the company has employed an “executive search firm” to help with succession planning and to help identify a new CEO.
About Suhail Sameer:
i. Suhail Sameer,  who was previously CEO of the FMCG business at RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, joined BharatPe in August 2020 as President.

  • He has been overseeing BharatPe’s operations ever since Co-Founder Ashneer Grover was ousted.  In August 2021, Sameer was formally made the CEO of BharatPe.

ii. Suhail Sameer was the Founding Managing Director of CESC Ventures, where he built out the modern Ayurveda and Healthy snack brands.
iii. He was also an Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company where he led the Clean-tech practice for Asia.

  • He is an active investor in clean-label food and personal care and financial inclusion.

About Nalin Negi:
i. Nalin Negi joined BharatPe in August 2022 as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
ii. He brings to the table over 28 years of experience and business acumen. He has spent the last 15 years in banking and financial services, with stints at GE Capital Corporate Finance and SBI Cards and Payment Services Limited.
About BharatPe:
Chairman- Rajnish Kumar
Headquarters- New Delhi, Delhi
Establishment- 2018

BSE appoints Sundararaman Ramamurthy as MD and CEO

industry expert Sundararaman Ramamurthy has been appointed as the Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of BSE Limited(formerly Bombay Stock Exchange) with effect from 4th January 2023, for a period of 5 years.

The post has been vacant since July 2021 after the MD & CEO of BSE Ashishkumar Chauhan left the post to join the National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE) as MD & CEO.

  • In November 2022, BSE got consent from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to appoint Sundararaman Ramamurthy as MD and CEO of BSE.
  • Sundararaman Ramamurthy has worked with NSE for around 2 decades and he has also worked at the Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI).

CJI DY Chandrachud launches E-SCR Project for Digital Version of Judgments Reported in SCThe Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Yashwant (DY) Chandrachud launched the Electronic Supreme Court Reports (E-SCR) project to provide free access to about 34,000 judgements of SC to lawyers, law students and the common public.

  • This project is an initiative to provide the digital version of the SC’s judgments in the manner as they are reported in the official law report i.e. SCRs.
  • The project has been launched as a tribute to the nation in the New Year.

Developers:
A search engine comprising elastic search techniques in the database of e-SCR was developed by the SC along with the National Informatics Centre (NIC), Pune (Maharashtra).
Key Points:
i.The verdicts of SC will be available on the SC website, its mobile app and on the judgement portal of the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG).
ii.As of now, the judgements delivered till January 1, 2023, were made available.
iii.Under this project, all judgements will be placed online within 24 hours.
iv.Neutral citations will also be introduced. A committee comprising three judges viz. Justice Rajiv Shakdher of the Delhi High Court, Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan of the Kerala High Court and Justice Suraj Govindraj of the Karnataka High Court – have been constituted to work on the process of neutral citations.

  • Delhi and Kerala High Courts were already using the neutral citation.
  • Note – Under neutral citation, a unique number will be uploaded for every judgment to ease the search for orders and judgments.

v.This project is a step forward towards the objective of digitization of the Indian Judiciary and bringing in a positive change for the benefit of all the stakeholders of justice.

Gaganyaan: India’s 1st Atmanirbhar human space flight to be launched by 2024

On 1st January 2023, Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister for Science and Technology, announced that the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is ready to launch India’s 1st Atmamirbhar human flight “Gaganyaan” by the year 2024.

  • There will be two preliminary launches in 2024. The 1st will be unmanned, and in the 2nd launch, the robot will be there as a human replica. On the third launch, humans will be sent into space.
  • If the 2 tests are a complete success, it is reported that humans will travel for the 3rd time.

World Boxing Council to Create Transgender Category

The World Boxing Council (WBC), one of the four governing bodies for Boxing, will introduce a transgender category from 2023 to ensure safety and inclusion. .

  • Previously, WBC banned trans-identified males from competing against women. Woman-to-man or man-to-woman transgender change will not be allowed to fight a different gender by birth.
  • A ‘at birth rule’ will be used, which means a transgender boxer who is registered as male at birth will be allowed to fight others who have also been registered as male at birth and same for female boxers too.
  • The WBC will not sanction a new championship or title belt but will create an event for the transgender fighters to take part in the boxing sport.

Siddheshwar Swamiji seer of Sri Jnanayogashrama in Karnataka Passed away 

On 2nd January 2023, noted spiritual leader Siddeshwar Swami, the seer of Sri Jnanayogashrama in Vijayapura, Karnataka, who was known for his scholarly discourses and powerful oratory, passed away in Karnataka at the age of 81.

  • Siddeshwar Swami hailing from Bijjaragi in Vijayapura, Karnataka,  spent over 67 years as a monk.
  • Siddeshwar Swami is often referred to as the “Walking God of North Karnataka”. He was also fondly known as Buddiji.
  • He was a Lingayat priest and saint at Sri Jnana Yogashram in Vijayapura, Karnataka.

Shashi Tharoor’s Latest Book “Ambedkar: A Life” Launched 

Renowned Author Shashi Tharoor, Member of Parliament (MP – the Lok Sabha – Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala), has launched his latest book “Ambedkar: A Life”, a biography of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar at the Kitaab Kolkata Event, which was organised by the Prabha Khaitan Foundation (PKF) at the ITC Sonar presented by Shree Cement.

  • The book is published by Aleph Book Company, and promoted by Rupa Publications India.
  • Shashi Tharoor won the Sahitya Akademi Award 2019 for “An Era of Darkness: The Britsh Empire in India”.
  • He is also a recipient of several awards that include a Commonwealth Writers Prize and the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, India’s highest honour for overseas nationals.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Inaugurates Siyom Bridge in Arunachal Pradesh; Dedicates 28 BRO Infrastructure Projects Worth Rs. 724 CroreOn January 3, 2023, Union Minister Rajnath Singh, Ministry of Defense (MoD), dedicated to the nation 28 infrastructure projects of the Border Roads Organization (BRO) worth Rs. 724 crores in seven bordering States/Union Territories (UTs), during an event held at the Siyom Bridge along the Along-Yinkiong Road in Arunachal Pradesh.

  • The Siyom Bridge, which is crucial from a strategic perspective, was physically inaugurated during the event, while the other projects were virtually dedicated to the nation.

The 28 Infrastructure Projects of BRO
i.The projects include 22 bridges, including the Siyom Bridge, three roads, and three other projects in seven bordering States/UTs in the Northern and North-Eastern region.

  • These projects are distributed as follows: Eight in Ladakh, Five in Arunachal Pradesh, Four in Jammu and Kashmir, Three each in Sikkim, Punjab & Uttarakhand, and Two in Rajasthan.

ii.Three telemedicine nodes—two in Ladakh and one in Mizoram—were also virtually inaugurated by the Defence Minister.
About the Border Roads Organization (BRO):
Director General Border Roads (DGBR) – Lieutenant (Lt.) General Rajeev Chaudhary
Established – 1960
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi

  • Of these, six UAE based companies and the UP government have inked MoUs totaling Rs. 18,590 crore, which will result in the creation of almost 20,000 new job opportunities.


i.Renewable Energy (RE) Sector: Astha Green Energy Venture and Shree Siddharth Infratech & Services will each invest Rs. 4,480 and Rs. 8,000 crore in the RE sector, creating 2,560 and 4,800 jobs, respectively.
ii.Logistics Park Sector: Sharaf Group and Hindustan Port have decided to invest Rs. 1,300 and Rs. 210 crore, respectively, in UP, creating 1,500 and 1,000 jobs.
iii.The Lulu Group would invest Rs. 4,500 crores in the retail and food processing sectors, resulting in the creation of 10,000 employment opportunities.
iv.Sobha Realty has agreed to invest Rs 100 crore in education and corporate social responsibility (CSR), providing employment for 250 people.
Key Points:
i.Eight teams from the UP government visited 16 countries in advance of the UPGIS 2023, and received investment bids totaling more than Rs 7.12 lakh crore.
ii.The United States of America (USA) and the United Kingdom (UK) have offered the majority of investment bids totaling Rs. 4 lakh crore.
Note: On January 5, 2023, domestic road shows will begin in nine of India’s largest cities under the leadership of UP Chief Minister (CM) Yogi Adityanath.
About the United Arab Emirates (UAE):
President – Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Capital – Abu Dhabi city
Currency – Arab Emirati Dirham (AED) [called Dirhams]

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CURRENT AFFAIRS 30-03-2023

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EPFO Marginally Increases Deposit Interest Rate to 8.15% for FY23The Central Board of Trustees (CBT), the apex decision-making body of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), has proposed a new interest rate of 8.15% for Provident Fund deposits for the current fiscal year 2022-23 (FY23), to nearly 6 crore subscribers.

  • This proposed interest rate (8.15%) is 0.05 % higher than the 8.10% interest rate of FY22, which is the lowest in four decades.

This is the first increase in the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) interest rate since 2018-19, when it was lifted to 8.65% from 8.5% previously.
i.The EPFO is expected to have a principal amount of Rs. 11.02 lakh crore, and an income of Rs. 90,497.57 crore for FY23, which is the highest recommended income so far.

  • This is substantially greater than the income of Rs. 77,424.84 crore and the principal of Rs. 9.56 lakh crore in FY22.

About Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO):
i.EPFO is a social security organisation that provides social security benefits through provident, pension, and insurance funds.
Chief Executive Officer(CEO) – Neelam Shami Rao
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi
Establishment – 1952

ICAR & World Bank issue Delhi Declaration on modernisation of Agricultural Education System The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the World Bank jointly issued the Delhi Declaration on Modernisation of Agricultural Education System in alignment with the National Education Policy(NEP) during the valedictory session of the International Conference on Blended Learning Ecosystem for Higher Education in Agriculture 2023(ICBLE 2023) held in New Delhi, Delhi.
i.The 3-day ICBLE 2023, first of its kind initiative to promote blended learning initiatives in agricultural higher education, was organised jointly by the ICAR and World Bank from 21st to 23rd March 2023 at Bharat Ratna C. Subramaniam Auditorium, National Agricultural Science Complex(NASC), New Delhi, Delhi.
ii.On 21st March 2023, Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare inaugurated the conference and launched the Blended Learning Platform for higher education in agriculture.

  • The platform was developed by ICAR as a part of the World Bank-funded project.

About the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR): 
ICAR is an autonomous organisation under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education ( DARE ), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare(MoA&FW).
Director General– Himanshu Pathak
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi

PFRDA Increases Ombudsman’s Upper Age Limit to 70 Years from 65 YearsAccording to the notification dated 27th March 2023, the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA)  has amended the PFRDA  (Redressal of Subscriber Grievance) Regulations 2015 and increased the upper age limit of the Ombudsman from 65 to 70 years.

  • The amended regulations are called the “Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (Redressal of Subscriber Grievance) (Amendment) Regulations, 2023”.
  • The amended rules come into force on the date of the publication of the official gazette.

Note: 
According to the PFRDA (Redressal of Subscriber Grievance) Regulations 2015, the upper age limit for the ombudsman was 65 years.
About Ombudsman:
i.The Ombudsman is an official appointed by PFRDA who receives, considers and facilitates the resolution of complaints or grievances, which fall within the ambit of the regulations.

  • Ombudsman is a Swedish word meaning “legal representative.”

ii.The appointed ombudsman holds the office for a period of 3 years. The ombudsman is also eligible for reappointment for another 2 years.
Additional info: 
With effect from April 1, 2023, PFRDA has made the mandatory upload of withdrawal and KYC  documents to enable seamless processing of exit and annuity payments for the benefit of National Pension System (NPS) subscribers.
About Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA):
PFRDA was established by the Government of India on 23rd August 2003
Chairman– Deepak Mohanty
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi

Odisha declares Gandhamardan Hill as Biodiversity Heritage SiteThe Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department, Government of Odisha has issued a notification declaring the Gandhamardan Hill Range in Bargarh and Balangir district as a Biodiversity Heritage Site (BHS).

  • Following this, an area of 18,963.898 hectares of Gandhamardan Hill (Gandhamardan Reserve Forest) including 12,431.8 ha (Bargarh) and 6,532.098 ha (Balangir) is declared as BHS of Odisha.
  • This is the 3rd BHS of Odisha after Mandasuru Gorge in Kandhamal district and Mahendragiri Hill Range in Gajapati district.
  • The designation was made in accordance with Rule 20(2) of the 2012 Odisha Biodiversity Regulations and Section 37 of the Biodiversity Act.

Threat:
The rich biological resources in Gandhamardan Hill range are under pressure due to various human activity(anthropogenic) such as pollution and climatic factors and the traditional ecological knowledge associated with the bio-resources of the hill is declining.
Significance of Gandhamardan Hill:
The Gandhamardan Hill is considered a treasure trove of medicinal plants and an Ayurvedic paradise of Odisha.
This ecosystem, with rich floral and faunal diversity, has a diverse socio-economic, ecological and biological significance for the people of Odisha.
Flora: 
The region houses around 1,055 plant species which includes 849 angiosperms(Flowering plants), 56 pteridophytes, 40 bryophytes, 45 lichens and two gymnosperms(seed-producing plants) and 63 species of macrofungi.
Fauna:
The region houses around 500 species of animals which includes 43 mammals, 161 birds, 44 reptiles, 16 amphibians, 118 butterflies, 27 dragonflies and 7 damselflies and 83 species of spiders.
Note: Ficus conccina var dasycarpa (angiosperm) and Peucetia harishankarensis (Spider) are endemic to this hill.
Monuments:
The region houses 2 historical monuments

  • Nrusinghanath Temple located on the northern slope
  • Harishankar Temple situated on the southern slope of the foot hills of Gandhamardan.

The 2 hill shrines are major pilgrimage sites of Odisha.
Hiuen Tsang had described the hill shrine as a Buddhist heritage site named Parimalagiri.
Bauxite mining: 
i.Bauxite reserve in the region was planned for exploration by the state government through a private venture.
ii.In 1980s, then public sector Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO), now under the control of Vedanta Group, had almost started mining of bauxite from Gandhamardan.
iii.Later the mining proposal was stopped following people’s protest against mining.

Government extends PAN-Aadhaar linking deadline to June 30, 2023

On 28th March 2023, the Ministry of Finance (MoF) informed that the Central Board of Direct Taxes(CBDT) has extended the deadline to link Permanent Account Number (PAN) with Aadhaar from 31st March 2023 to 30th June 2023.

  • According to Sub-section (2) of section 139AA to Income-tax Act 1961, it is mandatory for every person who has been allotted a PAN as of 1st July 2017 to intimate his Aadhaar Number so that the Aadhaar and PAN can be linked.
  • According to the MoF, as of 28th March 2023, more than 51 crore PANs have already been linked with Aadhaar.

IAF Participated in “Exercise Cobra Warrior” for The First Time

India made its maiden participation in “Exercise Cobra Warrior”, which was conducted at the Waddington Air Force Base of the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the United Kingdom (UK) from March 6–24, 2023.

  • Along with India, Finland and Saudi Arabia have also made their maiden appearances in the exercise.

An Indian Air Force (IAF) contingent of 145 Air Warriors took part in the exercise with five Mirage 2000 fighters, two C-17 Globemaster III aircraft, and an IL-78 midair refueller aircraft.
Exercise Cobra Warrior 
i.The RAF of the UK hosts the largest multilateral air exercise, Exercise Cobra Warrior, twice a year.

  • Participants: RAF and the IAF, as well as air forces from Finland, Sweden, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Belgium, the United States of America (USA), and Singapore.

ii.The aim of the exercise is to participate in a range of fighter aircraft encounters and learn from the top strategies employed by other air forces.
iii.This exercise included high-intensity, large-force, and tactical air warfighting operations.
iv.The RAF provided Surveillance, Multi-Engine Tactics, Qualified Weapons Instructor Courses, Qualified Space Instructor Courses, and other training during the exercise.

Japan commits Rs 7,084cr for Three Infrastructure Projects in Indiai.On March 28, 2023, Japan has committed Rs 7,084.5 crore to India for three infrastructure projects viz. one each in Patna (Bihar), West Bengal, and Rajasthan.
ii.Notes in this regard were exchanged between Rajat Kumar Mishra, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) and Suzuki Hiroshi, Japan Ambassador to India.
iii.The Infrastructure Projects are Patna Metro Rail Construction Project (I), Rajasthan Water Sector Livelihood Improvement Project (II), and Forest and Biodiversity Conservation for Climate Change Response in WB.
About Japan:
Prime Minister– Fumio Kishida
Capital– Tokyo

NPCI recommends up to 1.1% interchange fee on UPI transactions of over Rs 2,000 via PPIs   i.From April 1, 2023 onwards, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) will impose an interchange fee upto 1.1% will be levied on merchant transactions made through prepaid payment instruments (PPIs) such as wallets or cards, that use the Unified Payments Interface (UPI).
ii.The charge will be applicable on payments exceeding Rs 2,000, made to online merchants, large merchants and small offline merchants.
About National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI):
MD & CEO– Dilip Asbe
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra

PSBs wrote off Rs 91,000 cr in 9 months of FY23According to data presented in the Rajya Sabha as a  written answer by the Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Ministry of Finance Public sector banks (PSBs) have written off around Rs 91,000 crore in first 9 months of FY23.

  • In this, State Bank of India on the top (Rs 17,356 crore) followed by Union Bank of India (Rs 16,497 crore) and Bank of Baroda (Rs 13,032 crore).

Key Points:
i.All the scheduled commercial banks (PSBs, private banks and foreign banks) wrote-off around Rs 1.61-lakh crore worth of loan in FY18. Recovery from written off accounts was less than Rs 13,000 crore or around 8% of bad debts taken off from the book in FY18

  • For next four fiscal, the percentage rose to 10.8, 12.8, 14.9 and 19.4 per cent, respectively.

ii.During all these five years, total amount in written off loan accounts was over Rs 10 lakh crore, while recovery was over Rs 1.3-lakh crore. This means net written off amount was around Rs 8.7-lakh crore.

Argentine-American Mathematician Luis Ángel Caffarelli honoured with The Abel Prize 2023On 22nd March 2023, the Abel Prize for Mathematics was awarded to Luis Ángel Caffarelli, an Argentine-American mathematician and an expert in “partial differential equations” which can explain phenomena ranging from how water flows to population growth, at the University of Oslo, Norway.

  • Luis Caffarelli, a 74-year-old professor at the University of Texas, was honoured for his seminal contributions to regularity theory for nonlinear partial differential equations.

Luis A Caffarelli is the 26th Abel Prize Laureate and he is the 1st Latin American mathematician to receive the award.
Highlights:
i. Norway’s King Harald V will present the Abel Prize to Luis Caffarelli at an award ceremony in Oslo on 23rd May 2023.
ii. In 2022, the prize was won by American mathematician Dennis Sullivan for his research into topology and chaos theory.
About Luis Ángel Caffarelli:
i. Luis Caffarelli was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1948. He currently holds the Sid Richardson Chair at the University of Texas at Austin, Texas, United States of America(USA).
ii. He also has been a professor at the University of Minnesota(United States of America-USA), the University of Chicago(Illinois), and the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences at New York University(USA).
iii. Luis Caffarelli’s other awards include the 2005 Rolf Schock Prize, the American Mathematical Society’s 2009 Steele Prize for Lifetime Achievement, the 2012 Wolf Prize, the 2013 Solomon Lefschetz Medal, and the 2018 Shaw Prize.
About the Abel Prize:
i. The Abel Prize, named after the Norwegian mathematician Niels Henrik Abel (1802–1829), was established by the Norwegian Parliament (The Storting) in 2002, on the occasion of the 200th birth anniversary of Niels Henrik Abel.
ii. The award carries a cash prize of 7.5 million Norwegian Krone (USD 710,000).
iii. The Prize is awarded by The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, on behalf of the Ministry of Education.

Lalit Kumar Gupta named as CMD of Cotton Corporation of India 

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) chaired by Prime Minister (PM)Narendra Modi, has approved the appointment of Lalit Kumar Gupta as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Mumbai(Maharashtra)-based Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) with effect from the date of his assumption of charge of the post for a period of 5 years, or till the date of his superannuation, or until further orders, whichever is the earlier.
CCI is a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the Ministry of Textile

  • The order of the appointment was issued by the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.
  • Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) panel recommended Lalit Kumar Gupta for the post of CMD of CCI.

Lalit Kumar Gupta has a very long association with CCI, about 25 years. He joined CCI in August 1994. He is also a member of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI).

NIC developed the “Maaptol Grievance” app to facilitate the Registration & Redressal of Consumer GrievancesThe National Informatics Centre (NIC), under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), has developed a mobile software application called “Maaptol Grievance” to facilitate online registration and time-bound redress of consumer grievances connected to the Legal Metrology Act and rules framed under it.

  • The Weights and Measurements Department, Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD), provided the contents that were published on this application.
  • The application mainly provides eGovernance Services delivery and intends to provide better citizen services by the government.

Key Points:
i. The Weights and Measures Department of the Delhi government must attend to the settlement of the grievances lodged on the app in a time-bound manner, within two working days (48 hours).
ii. Any consumer can use this software application to file a complaint with the government’s Weights & Measures Department.

  • If the department of Weights & Measures discovers any violations involving goods that are being sold or distributed by weight, measure, or number, or any shortcoming in the mandatory declarations on packaged goods and commodities according to the provisions of the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 and rules made thereunder.

iii. Categories of the Grievances:

  • Deficiency in mandatory declarations by manufacturer or packer or importer on packaged goods; overcharging; short supply of goods or commodities; the short weight of Liquefied Petroleum Gas(LPG) in the gas cylinder; short supply of petrol or diesel by a petrol pump; short supply of Compressed Natural Gas(CNG) by a CNG pump outlet; and weighbridges.

About the National Informatics Centre (NIC):
Director General- Rajesh Gera
Headquarters- New Delhi, Delhi.
Establishment- 1976

Dr M A Hasan’s book titled “War and Women” launched at  UNHRC, Geneva

On 24th March 2023, a book titled “War and Women” authored by Dr M A Hasan was released during the 52nd Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) at the United Nations(UN) building in Geneva, Switzerland.

In this book, Dr M A Hasan documented the magnitude of torture and killings committed by the Pakistan Army during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.

  • Freedom Fighters of the Bangladesh Liberation War and Executive members from International Non-Governmental Organizations(NGOs) were present at the book launch.
  • Tazul Islam, a Bangladesh freedom fighter based in Zurich, Switzerland, is the Chief guest of the launching ceremony.

World Piano Day 2023 – March 29World Piano Day is annually observed across the globe on the 88th day of the year(mostly falls on the 29th or 28th of March), which is the same as the number of keys on the piano, intending to celebrate the Piano, an acoustic, keyboard, stringed percussion instrument.

  • Piano Day aims to create a community platform to bring together piano players from all around the world.

World Piano Day 2023 was observed on 29th March 2023.

  • World Piano Day 2022 was observed on 29th March 2023.
  • World Piano Day 2024 will be observed on 28th March 2023.

Background:
i. The idea of Piano Day was initiated by German Pianist/composer/producer Nils Frahm.
ii. The 1st ever World Piano Day was observed on 29th March 2015.
History of Piano:
i. The Piano was invented by Bartolomeo Cristofori (1655-1731), a musical instrument maker, from Padua, Italy.
ii. In the year 1700, Bartolomeo Cristofori is credited with replacing the plucking mechanism with a hammer to create the modern piano.
iii. The piano was initially called ‘gravicembalo col piano e forte,’ which means “soft and loud harpsichord.”

Assam Rifles Commemorates 188th Raising Day – 24th March 2023 On 24 March 2023, Assam Rifles, the most decorated Para Military Force of India, celebrated its 188th Raising Day at its Laitkor Garrison, Shillong, Meghalaya, and also its various formation and Units in the North East and Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).

  • G Kishan Reddy, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Development of North East Region graced the Assam Rifles’ Raising Day 2023 celebrations as chief guest.
  • G Kishan Reddy along with Lt Gen P C Nair, Director General of Assam Rifles paid homage to the martyrs of the Force at the War Memorial in Shillong, Meghalaya.

Background:
Assam Rifles was raised on 24th March 1835. It has done yeoman service to India and contributed immensely to bringing peace to the North East states.

  • Assam Rifles is often referred to as the “Friends of the Hill People” and the “Sentinels of the North East”.
  • It is the oldest paramilitary force in India whose primary role is to protect part of India’s Northeastern border.

Key Highlights:
i.During  2022-23, 3 battalions received the Chief of the Army Staff Unit Citation and 5 Battalions received General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Unit Citation.
ii. Personnel of the force have also been decorated with 1 Shaurya Chakra, 7 Sena Medals, and 411 Presidential & Governors Medals.
iii. The force has excelled in Sports by winning 6 medals in International Games (Gold-1, Silver-1& Bronze-4), National Games (Gold-17, Silver-17& Bronze-15) and All India Police Duty Meet Shooting Competition(AIPDM) (Gold-31, Silver-25 & Bronze-26) in 2022-23.
About the Assam Rifles:
Director General- Lt Gen Pradeep Chandran Nair
Headquarters- Shillong, Meghalaya
Establishment- 1835

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee launches Flagship Road ‘Pathashree-Rastashree’ ProjectOn 28th March 2023, Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister(CM) of West Bengal(WB), launched “Pathashree-Rastashree” in Singur, WB. Pathashree-Rastashree is a flagship project of the government of WB to strengthen road infrastructure and enhance connectivity to villages by constructing 12,000 km of roads in 22 districts of WB.
Background: 
On 15th February 2023, the “Pathashree-Rastashree” project was announced by Chandrima Bhattacharya, Minister of Finance of West Bengal, while presenting the Budget in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly.
Pathashree-Rastashree:
i. Under the Pathashree-Rastashree project,West Bengal will get 7,219 new roads and 1,548 roads will be upgraded. Over 29,475 villages across all gram panchayats will be covered by roads.
ii. A total of Rs 3282.75 crore in state funding would be used for the entire project.
iii. The total number of roads approved in the scheme is 8767. Nearly 30,000 villages will benefit from the project.
About West Bengal:
Chief Minister- Mamta Banerjee
Governor- Jagdeep Dhankhar
National Park- Sundarban National Park; Jaldapara National Park
Wild Life Sanctuary- Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary; Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary

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