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.
Now retrieving an image set.
