Sampanna Ramesh becomes fastest Indian to swim across Palk Strait
- Swimmer Sampanna Ramesh Shelar has become the fastest Indian in under-21 group to swim across the Palk Strait from Talaimannar in Sri Lanka to Dhanuskodi in Tamil Nadu on 17 March 2023.
- He created this record by completing the distance of 29 Kms in 5 hours and 30 minutes.
- The previous record was 8 hours and 26 minutes.
FSIB recommends Ashwani Kumar as MD and CEO of UCO Bank
- Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB) on 16 March 2023 recommended the name of Indian Bank executive director Ashwani Kumar for the post of managing director of UCO Bank.
- Prior to joining Indian Bank, Kumar was serving as chief general manager of Mumbai Zone of Punjab National Bank (PNB).
- FSIB is headed by ex-secretary, Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), Bhanu Pratap Sharma.
Luxor appoints Virat Kohli as its Brand Ambassador
- Luxor Writing Instruments Private Limited signed cricketer Virat Kohli as its new brand ambassador on 17 March 2023.
- He will be the face of its products across its stationery range.
- Luxor also partnered with German pen company, Schneider to bring the best of German engineering to deliver the finest writing performance.
Indira Gandhi Airport ranked best airport in South Asia for 5th time
- Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport has received the award for the Best Airport in India and South Asia by international air transport rating organisation Skytrax.
- Singapore’s Changi Airport is named the World’s Best Airport of 2023 followed by Doha Hamad airport.
- As per the report, Delhi airport is the only Indian airport to feature on top 50 airports across the world.
India, Sri Lanka inaugurates exhibition, ‘Geoffrey Bawa’ in New Delhi
- The National Gallery of Modern Art and the High Commission of Sri Lanka in New Delhi inaugurates the exhibition ‘Geoffrey Bawa: It is Essential to be There’ on 17 March 2023.
- Commemorating the 75th Anniversary of Indo-Lanka Diplomatic Relations, the event will celebrate the Cultural Exchange Programme between both countries.
- Over 120 documents from the Bawa archives will be on view.
Shaktikanta Das conferred with ‘Governor of the year’ Award 2023
- Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das has received the ‘Governor of the Year’ 2023 Award by the international publication Central Banking on 17 March 2023.
- He has been given the award for steering the financial markets through multiple crises including the pandemic and the inflation due to the war in Ukraine.
Ministry of Steel signs MoU with selected companies under PLI scheme
- Ministry of Steel on 17 March 2023 signed MoUs with selected companies under the Production-linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for specialty steel in New Delhi.
- A total of 57 MoUs with 27 companies were signed during the event.
- Production-Linked Incentive scheme aims to boost domestic manufacturing and cut down import bills by encouraging local companies to set up manufacturing units.
Union govt announces 10% reservation in CISF for former Agniveers
- Union Home Ministry on 17 March 2023 announced a 10 percent reservation for former Agniveers in the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).
- Former Agniveers would get relaxation in the upper age limit and will also be exempted from Physical Efficiency Test.
- As per the notification, the upper age limit for candidates of the first batch of Agniveers shall be relaxed by up to five years.
ICMR approves RT-qPCR kit to detect influenza, SARS-CoV-2, RSV
- The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) approved test kit developed by KRIYA Medical technologies which can detect influenza H1N1, H3N2, Yamagata and Victoria sublineages, Covid-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
- The kit has a cycle time of 27 minutes and the time around 50-60 minutes for the results to be read which can enable an immediate line of treatment.
Parshottam Rupala to inaugurate ‘Sagar Parikrama Phase IV’ on 18 March
- Union Minister Parshottam Rupala will inaugurate the Phase-IV of ‘Sagar Parikrama’ in Karnataka on 18 March 2023.
- It will cover the stretch of Uttar Kannada on 18th March 2023 and on 19th March 2023 Udupi followed by Dakshan Kannada.
- It aims to resolve the issues of the fishers and other stakeholders and facilitate their economic upliftment through various fisheries schemes and programs.
Himachal Chief Minister presents Rs 53,413 crore budget for 2023-24
- Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu presented the budget for financial year 2023-24 in the state assembly on 17 March 2023.
- ₹1000 crore has been allocated for the replacement of 1500 diesel buses.
- A ₹25,000 subsidy on the purchase of an electric scooter has also been announced for 20,000 girls.
- Kangra will be developed to become Himachal Pradesh’s tourist capital
R. Gopinathan resigns as CEO & MD of TCS, K Krithivasan to take over
- Indian software service provider Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) on 16 March 2023, announced that TCS MD & CEO Rajesh Gopinathan has resigned.
- TCS board has appointed K. Krithivasan as the Chief Executive Officer Designate, with effective from 16 March 2023.
- Gopinathan has stepped up after a 22-year career with the company and spent six years as the MD and CEO of the company.
Chandrayaan-3 successfully undergoes Integrated Module Dynamic Tests
- Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft successfully completed the essential tests that validated its capability to withstand the harsh vibration and acoustic environment during its launch.
- These tests were conducted in March 2023 at the UR Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru.
- the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft is a composite of three modules ie. Propulsion Module, Lander Module, and the Rover module.
India approves Rs 70,500 crore for acquisition of military hardware
- The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the defense ministry’s apex body for clearing weapons procurement accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for capital acquisitions worth Rs 70,500 crore.
- These include indigenous BrahMos missiles, Shakti Electronic Warfare (EW) systems, and Maritime Utility Helicopters.
- Out of these, 99 percent of the procurement will be sourced from Indian industries.
OneWeb to launch 36 satellites with ISRO for low-orbit connectivity
- OneWeb, the Low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite company, will launch 36 satellites with Indian Space Research OrganisationISRO on 26 March 2023.
- The launch aims at completing the first-generation LEO constellation and enabling the initiation of global coverage in 2023.
- The mission marks OneWeb’s second satellite deployment from India with the collaboration between the UK and India.
Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya flags off 75 Trucks to create TB awareness
- Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya on 16 March 2023, flagged off 75 trucks with Tuberculosis (TB) awareness messages across the country in New Delhi.
- Currently, 71000 Ni-Kshay Mitras are supporting over 10 lakh TB patients through nutritional support.
- Under the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, the Minister also distributed Nutritional Baskets to TB patients.
Indian Navy’s P-8I aircraft to participate in ‘Exercise Sea Dragon 23’
- A P-8I aircraft of the Indian Navy arrived at Guam, USA on March 15 to participate in ‘Exercise Sea Dragon 2023’, conducted by the United States Navy from March 15-30, 2023.
- It is the third edition of the anti-submarine warfare (ASW) exercise for long-range maritime reconnaissance (MR) ASW aircraft.
- It focuses on coordinated anti-submarine warfare among the participating countries.
Ayush ministry signs MoU with Min of rural devlopment to skill youths
- Ministry of Ayush and the Ministry of Rural Development on 16 March 2023 signed an MoU to empower rural youth by skilling.
- It was signed to impart training to rural poor youth and women for the Ayush healthcare system under Deen Dayal Upadhyaya-Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY).
- It will also empower self-help groups of women in self-employment and skill development.
Ayush Min inaugurates 26th session of Rashtriya Ayurveda Vidyapeeth
- Union Minister for Ayush Shri Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated the 26th Convocation of Rashtriya Ayurveda Vidyapeeth (RAV) on 16 March 2023.
- He also inaugurated the 8th National Seminar on the topic ‘Usage of Trina Dhanya (Millets) in contemporary lifestyle’ in New Delhi.
- The session discussed ways to document and publish a maximum number of case reports based on ayurvedic practices.
President Murmu presents the ‘President’s Colour’ to INS Dronacharya
- President Droupadi Murmu presented the President’s Colour to INS Dronacharya in Kochi on March 16, 2023.
- The President’s Colour is considered the highest honour that the President bestows on a unit for exceptional service to the nation.
- INS Dronacharya is the nodal centre for training Sagar Prahari Bal and the Navy’s centre for training several Indian Ocean Region (IOR) nations.
PM Modi to inaugurate the Global Millets Conference on 18th March
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Global Millets Conference in New Delhi on 18th March 2023.
- The two-day global conference will have sessions on the promotion and awareness of millets among producers, consumers, and other stakeholders.
- Based on India’s proposal, the year 2023 was declared the International Year of Millets (IYM) by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Sikkim hosts B20 meeting under India’s G20 presidency on 16th March
- Sikkim hosted a B20 or Business20 meeting under India’s G20 presidency on 16 March 2023 in Gangtok.
- It was the third of four B20 events organized in the Northeast region.
- B20 is the official G20 dialogue forum with the global business community and among the most prominent engagement groups of the G20.
- Startup20 events are also scheduled on the 18th and 19th of March in Gangtok.
India invites Pak defence minister Khawaja Asif for SCO meeting
- India has invited Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif to attend the meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to be held in New Delhi in April 2023.
- India currently holds the presidency of the SCO, which comprises China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
- The foreign ministers’ meeting is also scheduled for May 2023 in Goa.
Pakistan court rejects Imran Khan’s plea to suspend arrest warrant
- A district court judge in Pakistan on Thursday dismissed former prime minister Imran Khan’s plea to suspend non-bailable arrest warrants against him in the Toshakhana case.
- Earlier, the Lahore High Court ordered police to suspend its operation to arrest Khan from Lahore until 17 March.
- He was disqualified by the Election Commission of Pakistan in October 2022.
Credit Suisse, Switzerland’s second largest bank hit by scandals
- Credit Suisse, Switzerland’s second-largest banks’ shares fall around 20% on 215 March 2023.
- A media investigation published in February 2022, dubbed “Suisse Secrets”.
- The report alleged that more than 18,000 bank accounts dating back to the 1940s showed Credit Suisse held more than $8 billion in the accounts of criminals, dictators, and rights abusers.