Current Affairs 29th March 2023

NTPC Renewable Energy Limited signs Term Sheet with Greenko ZeroC

• NTPC Renewable Energy Ltd has signed Term Sheet with Greenko ZeroC Pvt Ltd (A Greenko Group Company).
• It has been signed to supply 1300 MW Round the Clock RE Power for powering Greenko’s upcoming Green Ammonia Plant at Kakinada, India.
• The agreement between the two companies is one of the world’s single largest contract for supply of round-the-clock renewable supply for an industrial client.

India’s merchandise imports to cross $700 billion in FY23

• India’s merchandise imports are estimated to grow by about 16 per cent to USD 710 billion in FY2023 due to a jump in inbound shipments of crude oil, coal, diamonds, chemicals and electronics.
• This was mentioned in a report by economic think tank GTRI.
• The estimated value of petroleum imports is USD 210 billion and this includes crude oil, LNG and LPG.

SpiceJet’s Ajay Singh takes over as ASSOCHAM President

• SpiceJet chief Ajay Singh has taken over as President of the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).
• Singh replaces Sumant Sinha, the Managing Director of Renew Power who has completed his tenure at the chamber.
• Sanjay Nayar, the Founder and Chairman of Sorin Investment Fund is the new Senior Vice-President of ASSOCHAM.

Star Sports signs actor Ranveer Singh as brand ambassador

• The Walt Disney Company India-owned channel Star Sports has signed Ranveer Singh as its brand ambassador.
• As per the company, this association makes him the first actor to be associated with Star Sports.
• Star Sports and Ranveer Singh’s journey as partners starts with the opening weekend of IPL.
• It also entails other sporting events coming up including World Test Championship Final.

BCCI signs Herbalife as its official partner for upcoming IPL edition

• The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has signed nutrition company Herbalife Nutrition Limited as its partner for the Tata Indian Premier League (IPL) for its current season, 2023.
• The IPL 2023 is scheduled to be played in the country starting this month, from March 31 to May 26, 2023.
• Herbalife sponsors more than 150 world-class athletes which include Virat Kohli, Mary Kom, etc.

United Arab Emirates launches National Genome Strategy

• The UAE has launched its National Genome Strategy.
• It aims to provide a comprehensive legislative and governance framework to support the development and implementation of genomic programs.
• The strategy will last ten years and will focus on delivering public health priorities.
• The Emirates Genome Council, which was established in 2021, will oversee the National Genome Strategy.

PM Modi to virtually address Summit of Democracy

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually addressed the Leader-level Plenary session on the Summit of Democracy on March 29 2023.
• The summit was hosted by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.
• Presidents and Prime Ministers from six countries — Greece, Israel, Italy, Kenya, Croatia, and Timor-Leste also addressed the summit.
• The summit aimed to make democracies more responsive and resilient

Bharali Bedabrate bags bronze in World Youth Championships

• Indian weightlifter Bharali Bedabrate clinched the men’s 67kg bronze medal at the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Youth Championships in Durres, Albania.
• He lifted a total of 267kg (119kg+148kg) to finish third.
• Armenia’s Seryozha Barseghyan 275 kg (128 kg+147 kg) and Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Al Marzouq 270 kg (119 kg+148 kg) won the gold and silver medals respectively.

EPFO marginally hikes interest rate on deposits to 8.15%

• Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has decided to recommend an increase of 0.05% in the interest for Provident Fund deposits.
• The new rate, applicable for 2022-23, will be 8.15%.
• The Union Labour Ministry added in the release that the decision involves the distribution of more than ₹90,000 crore in the members’ accounts.
• The total principal amount with the EPFO is ₹11 lakh crore.

Chandigarh hosting 2nd Agricultural Deputies Meeting of AWG

• The second Agricultural Deputies Meeting of Agricultural Working Group is going to be held from 29th March to 31st March 2023 at Chandigarh.
• The delegates from 19 member countries, 10 invited countries and 10 International Organizations will be part of the second Agricultural Deputies Meeting.
• On the first day, AMIS Secretariat organized the 12th session of the AMIS Rapid Response Forum.

First Trade & Investment Working Group Meeting inaugurated in Mumbai

• Union Minister of State for Finance Dr. Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad on March 29, 2023, inaugurated the First Trade & Investment Working Group Meeting in Mumbai.
• In the first session, the Institute of Economic Growth (IEG), Delhi, World Bank (WB), and United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) delivered a presentation on ‘Trade for Growth and Prosperity’.

Dalai Lama names Mongolian boy 3rd highest rank in Tibetan Buddhism

• Dalai Lama named an eight-year-old Mongolian boy born in the United States the 10th Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa Rinpoche – the third highest rank in Tibetan Buddhism on 28 March 2023.
• He is the son of a university professor and the grandson of a former Mongolian member of parliament.
• The Panchen Lama is the second most important spiritual leader in Tibetan Buddhism.

Krishna Prakash: 1st to swim from Gateway of India to Elephanta Caves

• As part of the ‘Drowning Prevention Awareness’ campaign, Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Krishna Prakash swam from Gateway of India to Elephanta Caves, Mumbai.
• He completed the expedition of 16.20 kms in just 5 hours 26 minutes and became the first person in history to do so.
• In 2017, he completed the Ironman Triathlon, one of the most challenging sports events in the world.

First Hockey India Junior Men Zonal Championships 2023 concludes

• The first Hockey India Junior Men Zonal Championships 2023 concluded in the North, South, East, and West Zones on 28 March 2023.
• The Hockey Punjab, Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu, Hockey Jharkhand, and Hockey Madhya Pradesh were crowned as Champions in their respective zones.
• Hockey Punjab defeated Uttar Pradesh Hockey 3-2 in the North Zone Final.

Sam Burns wins World Golf Championship Match Play title

• Sam Burns secured the 2023 WGC Match Play golf title with a 6 and 5 victory over Cameron Young in the final on 28 March 2023.
• Rory McIlroy also topped in his heavyweight clash with world number one Scottie Scheffler in the consolation match.
• Earlier, he had beaten Scottie Scheffler in a back-and-forth semi-final encounter which was decided at the third playoff hole.

Texas University confers ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ to Naveen Jindal

• Chairman of Jindal Steel and Power, Naveen Jindal has been honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award by the University of Texas (Dallas).
• An alumni of UT Dallas 1992 batch, he received the award in a ceremony held by the University on March 25, 2023.
• He is the 2nd person to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the University of Texas, Dallas after Nobel Laureate Aziz Sancar.

Union Minister Giriraj Singh initiates ‘Captive Employment’ Scheme

• Union Minister for Rural Development Giriraj Singh initiated Captive Employers, a unique initiative under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) in New Delhi on 28 March 2023.
• Captive employers will train Rural Poor Youth and employ trained youth in their companies.
• In the first phase, 19 Captive Employers are being engaged to provide jobs to over 31,000 rural youth.

Union Minister Amit Shah inaugurates Annual Session 2023 of ASSOCHAM

• Union Minister, Home Minister, and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah, on 28 March 2023, attended the Annual Session 2023 of Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) in New Delhi.
• It was based on the theme ‘Bharat@100: Paving the Way for Inclusive and Sustainable Global Growth’.
• ASSOCHAM represents the interests of trade and commerce in India.

India and Romania hold bilateral meeting on defence cooperation

• Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane and his Romanian counterpart Simona Cojocaru on 28 March 2023 held a bilateral meeting on defence cooperation in New Delhi.
• Military to military cooperation, military training and courses, defence co-development and co-production and capacity building were discussed in the meeting.
• Both the countries have signed an agreement on Defence Cooperation.

1st International Quantum Communication Conclave concluded on 28 March

• Deprtment of Telecom organised ‘First International Quantum Communication Conclave’ on 27-28 March 2023 in New Delhi.
• The conclave was organised by Telecommunications Standards Development Society India and Centre For Development Of Telematics (C-DOT).
• The Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Telecom Skill Excellence Awards – 2022 were also presented to various winners during the event.

India’s overall exports cross all time high of USD 750 billion

• Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, on 28 March 2023, announced that India’s overall exports crossed US$ 750 billion.
• This is an all time high and this achievement of 750 billion comes in the 75th year of independence.
• India’s strong macroeconomy, robust foreign exchange reserves, relatively low inflation and entrepreneurial spirit have immensely contributed to the export.

Nagaland adopts resolution to repeal 2001 Municipal Act

• The member of the 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly unanimously resolved to repeal the Nagaland Municipal Act 2001 with immediate effect on 28 Mar 2023.
• The repeal of the Act was necessitated following the strong protest from the various tribal groups and civil societies demanding a total review of the act.
• The house also resolved that the law on urban local bodies be enacted expeditiously.

Pakistan rejects US invitation for democracy Summit 2023

• Pakistan declined the invitation to attend The Democracy Summit hosted by the United States on 28 March 2023.
• The USA has invited 120 global leaders to the summit being held in Washington on 29-30 March 2023.
• It will be co-hosted by the governments of Costa Rica, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Zambia.
• Pakistan was also not part of the Democracy Summit held in December 2021.

Israeli embassies shut down across world in support of strike

• Israel has decided to close all its embassies across the world, including in New Delhi over the protests of PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s judicial reforms.
• Israel is witnessing the most intense social unrest where thousands of people have taken to the streets after PM Netanyahu sacked the Defence Minister for questioning the judicial reform.
• PM Netanyahu is on trial for corruption in 3 cases.

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Current Affairs 28th March 2023

Dilma Rousseff elected as new President of BRICS Bank

• New Development Bank (NDB) has announced that former Brazilian President Dilma Vana Rousseff has been elected as the new President of the Bank.
• She will replace Marcus Troyjo.
• NDB, also known as BRICS bank is a multilateral financial institution set up by the five BRICS countries including Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa.

Russia fires supersonic anti-ship missile at mock target

• Russia’s navy fired supersonic anti-ship missiles at a mock target in the Sea of Japan, in March 2023.
• The P-270 Moskit missile, which has the NATO reporting name or SS-N-22 Sunburn, is a medium-range supersonic cruise missile of Soviet origin.
• It is capable of destroying a ship within a range of up to 120 km (75 miles).

IIT Madras Researchers develop device to detect milk adulteration

• IIT Madras researchers have developed a three-dimensional (3D) paper-based portable device that can detect adulteration in milk within 30 seconds.
• The test could be even performed at home.
• It can detect multiple substances commonly used as adulterating agents including Urea, detergents, soap, starch, hydrogen peroxide, sodium-hydrogen-carbonate, and salt, among others.

1st joint conference of army chiefs of India and Africa held

• The 1st joint conference of army chiefs of India and African countries was held in Pune on 28 Mar’23.
• Defense Minister Rajnath Singh attended the conference as the chief guest.
• This was the first-ever conference of Army Chiefs of these countries.
• Army chiefs of 10 countries along with 31 representatives of African nations are present in this conference.
• A defence exhibition was also held.

Ultimate Table Tennis to return for Season 4, to begin in July 2023

• Ultimate Table Tennis, the franchise-based table tennis league featuring star international paddlers, will resume after a three-year hiatus.
• Its fourth edition will be played in Pune from July 13 to 30, 2023.
• The fourth edition to be played at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex will see five of the six previous franchises contiuning from where they left in the last edition in 2019.

YES Bank issues first electronic bank guarantee with NeSL

• YES Bank has issued its first electronic-Bank Guarantee (e-BG) in partnership with National E-Governance Services Limited (NeSL).
• The API integration with the Digital Document Execution (DDE) platform of NeSL has enabled complete digitisation of the existing paper-based process for issuance and maintenance of Bank Guarantee (BG).
• This includes digital stamping and signing.

Bhavani Devi bags Women’s Individual Sabre gold

• Olympian Bhavani Devi bagged the gold medal in the women’s Individual Sabre category of the 33rd Senior National Fencing Championship at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in March 2023.
• She clinched her 11th national title after she outplayed V Sunny Alka of Kerala 15-9.
• Her team Tamil Nadu, also won the gold in the Women’s Sabre Team event, by outplaying Kerala 45-34 in the final.

NDTV appoints former SEBI chief UK Sinha as non-executive chairperson

• NDTV has appointed former Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) chairman Upendra Kumar Sinha as an independent director and non-executive chairperson of the NDTV board of directors.
• Sinha served as the chairman of SEBI for over six years between 2011 and 2017.
• NDTV also appointed Welspun India’s chief executive officer Dipali Goenka as an independent director on the board.

Ramnagar hosts its first G20 summit

• Ramnagar in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand is hosting the first G20 summit in the Uttarakhand from on 28-30 March 2023.
• Around 70 foreign delegates discussed four agendas including the One Health opportunity to tackle the pandemic and disease control, and coordination in global efforts enhancing reach to scientific knowledge.

3rd edition of Ladakh Literary Conference inaugurated

• In Ladakh, Lieutenant Governor Brig. (DR) BD Mishra (Rtd) inaugurated the 3rd edition of the Ladakh Literary Conference at Syed Mehdi Memorial Hall Kargil.
• During the inaugural session, two papers were presented.
• One was by Purgi Scholar Issa Sabiri on the Development of Purgi Language and Script and another by Gen Tubstan Paldan (State Awardee) on Ladakh Language and Literature-An Insight.

Union govt notifies revised MGNREGA wage rates

• Union govt notified a hike in wage rates under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) for the 2023-24 financial year.
• Haryana has the highest daily wage at ₹357 per day and Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh have the lowest at ₹221.
• The notification was issued under Section 6 (1) of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005.

Aditya Birla Capital to sell entire stake in ABIBL

• Aditya Birla Capital Limited (ABCL), a company under the Aditya Birla Group announced on 27 Mar 2023 the sale of its entire stake in Aditya Birla Insurance Brokers Limited.
• Aditya Birla’s insurance broking firm is one of India’s largest in selling both life and non-life policies.
• The total enterprise value of the transaction is set at Rs. 455 crores on a cash-free and debt-free basis.

Pakistani origin Humza Yousaf wins race to be Scotland’s next leader

• Pakistani origin Humza Yousaf on 27 March 2023 won the race to become Scotland’s new leader, the youngest and first from a minority ethnicity.
• He succeeds Nicola Sturgeon as leader of the governing Scottish National Party (SNP).
• He will take over as head of the semi-autonomous government once he wins an approval vote in the Scottish parliament.

Manmeet Colon sworn in as Connecticut’s first assistant police chief

• Indian-origin Sikh woman officer Lieutenant Manmeet Colon took charge as the Assistant Chief of Police in the US state of Connecticut on 27 March 2023.
• She became the department’s first-ever second-in-command of Asian descent.
• The Board of Police Commissioners in New Haven unanimously approved the appointment of Colon who was previously a lieutenant in the internal affairs office.

IIT Guwahati ranked among world’s top universities

• The 2023 edition of the QS World University Rankings by Subject, released by QS Quacquarelli Symonds named the world’s best universities for the study of 54 academic disciplines on 27 March 2023.
• India is the 12th most-represented territory in the world.
• In the broad subject areas, IIT Guwahati performed best in Engineering & Technology, in which it is placed at 222nd.

World’s oldest drag queen, Darcelle XV passes away

• The Guinness World Record holder for oldest drag queen performer, Darcelle XV, passed away on 27 March 2023.
• Her real name was Walter W. Cole.
• She was crowned the oldest drag queen by Guinness World Records in 2016.
• The Darcelle XV Showplace, which she owned, is “the West Coast’s longest-running drag show,” as per Guinness.
• She authored her autobiography “Just Call Me Darcelle”.

The 2nd G20 IWG meeting to take place in Visakhapatnam on 28 March

• The second G20 Infrastructure Working Group (IWG) meeting under G20 Indian Presidency is scheduled to take place at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, on the 28-29 March 2023.
• Around 63 delegates from G20 member countries and international organizations will participate in the meeting.
• The theme of the meeting is “Financing Cities of Tomorrow: Inclusive, Resilient and Sustainable”.

Centre constitutes committee to monitor stock disclosure of Tur

• Union govt on 27 March 2023, constituted a Committee under the chairmanship of Additional Secretary, Nidhi Khare to monitor the stock of Tur.
• It will monitor the stock of Tur held by entities such as importers, millers, stockists, traders etc. in close coordination with the state governments.
• The government has also removed the 10 per cent duty applicable for Tur imports in 2023.

Aviation Minister inaugurates direct flight between Amritsar & London

• Union Minister of Civil Aviation and Steel, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia inaugurated a direct flight between Amritsar and Gatwick, London on 27 March 2023.
• Under the Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN) scheme, 20 routes have been operational in Punjab.
• The government has also signed an open sky offer with Canada to operate unlimited flights between Indian cities.

MoS Commerce & Industry Anupriya Patel inaugurates 23rd INDIASOFT

• Union Minister of State for Commerce & Industry, Anupriya Patel inaugurated the 23rd edition of INDIASOFT in New Delhi on 27 March 2023.
• More than 1500 Indian exhibitors are showcasing their products and solutions at the event, together with other collocated events.
• Over 650 delegates from 80 countries are participating in the three-day event.

Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio presents Budget 2023-24

• Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, who is also the Finance Minister, on 27th March 2023, presented the State Budget 2023-24 with an accumulated deficit of 1,374.17 crore rupees.
• For the financial year 2023-24, the estimated gross receipt stands at 23,145.66 crore rupees, while the gross expenditure stands at 23,085.66 crore rupees, with a positive balance of 60 crore rupees.

Asia’s largest 4-metre liquid mirror telescope unveiled in Uttarakhand

• Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurated Asia’s largest 4-metre International Liquid Mirror Telescope (ILMT) at Devasthal in Uttarakhand in March 2023.
• The telescope was designed and built by the Advanced Mechanical and Optical Systems (AMOS) Corporation.
• The ILMT employs a 4-metre-diameter rotating mirror made up of a thin layer of liquid mercury, to collect and focus light.

Honduras establishes ties with China after break from Taiwan

• Honduras established diplomatic ties with China on 27 March 2023 after breaking off relations with Taiwan.
• Taiwan is now recognized by only 13 sovereign states.
• China and Taiwan have been locked in a battle for diplomatic recognition since they split amid a civil war in 1949.
• Taiwan still has ties with Belize, Paraguay, and Guatemala in Latin America, and Vatican City.

First Citizens Bank acquires Silicon Valley Bank worth USD 500 million

• First Citizens Bank announced the acquisition of Silicon Valley Bank from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) on 27 March 2023.
• FDIC took over Silicon Valley Bank on March 10, 2023, after depositors rushed to pull out their money in a bank run that also brought down Signature Bank.
• First Citizens will assume Silicon Valley Bank’s assets of $110 billion as part of the deal.

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Current Affairs 27th March 2023

New species of Moray eel named after Tamil Nadu

• Researchers have discovered a new species of Moray eel at the Mudasalodai fish landing centre off the Cuddalore coast.
• The species has been named after Tamil Nadu as Gymnothorax tamilnaduensis with common name as Tamil Nadu brown moray.
• The discovery has been published in the latest issue of the international peer-reviewed journal “Zoosystematics and Evolution”.

Reliance Industries names Srikanth Venkatachari as new CFO

• Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has named Srikanth Venkatachari as the new Chief Financial Officer.
• The current chief financial officer, Alok Agarwal, has been given a new role of Senior Advisor to the Chairman and Managing Director of the Company.
• He was appointed as the Chief Financial Officer of the Company in 2005.

S&P keeps India’s economic growth forecast unchanged at 6% for FY24

• According to S&P Global Ratings, India’s economic growth is projected to be at 6% in the fiscal year starting April 2023, rising to 6.9% in the following fiscal year.
• In a quarterly update for the Asia-Pacific region, the agency saw inflation rate easing to 5% in 2023-24 fiscal.
• S&P expects the subcontinent’s GDP to rise to 6.9% in 2024-25 and 2025-26 and later to 7.1% in 2026-27.

Parliament approves Budget for 2023-24

• Parliament has approved the Union Budget for 2023-24 with the Lok Sabha clearing the Finance Bill as amended by the Rajya Sabha.
• The amendment to the Finance Bill 2023, which sought to correct an error with regard to the tax rate on Securities Transaction Tax, was moved by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
• The passage of the Finance Bill has completed the budgetary exercise for 2023-24.

IDFC First Bank join hands with Crunchfish

• IDFC FIRST Bank has teamed with Crunchfish to participate in the RBI’s pilot programme to facilitate offline payments.
• This initiative will provide access to digital payments even when there is no network.
• The Swedish company Crunchfish introduced this one-of-a-kind digital payment system for merchants and customers as part of the RBI’s Regulatory Sandbox Program.

Special literary award conferred on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

• The Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature (FOSWAL) conferred a special literary award on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on 26 March 2023.
• The award has been conferred for his trilogy- The Unfinished Memoirs, The Prison Diaries and the New China 1952.
• The award has been given to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for the outstanding literary excellence for his trilogy.

AHF honours Hockey India with best organiser award

• Hockey India has been awarded with the Best Organiser Award by the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) for the successful hosting of the FIH Men’s World Cup in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela earlier in 2023.
• The award was received by HI secretary-general Bhola Nath Singh during the AHF Congress held in Mungyeong, Korea.
• The World Cup was held at Birsa Munda Stadium in Rourkela.

Canara Bank’s stake in Commercial Indo Bank LLC sold to SBI for 121 cr

• Canara Bank has sold its stake in the Russian joint venture Commercial Indo Bank LLC (CIBL) to the other venture partner State Bank of India (SBI) for about ₹121.29 crore.
• CIBL, incorporated in 2003, is a joint venture in Russia between SBI (60 per cent) and Canara Bank (40 per cent).
• The Bengaluru-based state-owned bank entered into the agreement for sale on November 11, 2022.

RBI allows India and Tanzania to use national currencies for trading

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has given approval for India and Tanzania to use their national currencies for bilateral trade settlement.
• Under this mechanism, authorised banks in India will open Special Rupee Vostro Accounts (SRVAs) of correspondent banks of Tanzania.
• Tanzanian banks will have to open Special Rupee Vostro Accounts in India by approaching authorised Indian banks.

Egypt joins BRICS bank as new member

• Egypt has joined the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB).
• The African-Arab nation became an NDB member on February 20, though a formal notification was issued on March 22.
• The New Development Bank was set up by BRICS nations on the basis of the intergovernmental agreement signed at the sixth BRICS summit in Fortaleza in July 2014.

Haldwani to get a sports university

• Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has announced the government will set up a sports university in the Kumaun region’s Haldwani town.
• The international stadium of Haldwani will be upgraded into a sports university.
• He also informed that Uttarakhand will hold several national level sports event in the coming year.

Community-based disaster management on cards with new TN policy

• Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin released the updated Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Policy and Disaster Management Plan 2023, in March 2023.
• The policy aims at reducing the negative impact of disasters with the help of strong disaster management machinery, minimising loss of life, property, and damage to critical infrastructure, and sustaining economic and development benefits.

Second G20 Framework Working Group meeting concludes in Chennai

• The Second G20 Framework Working Group (FWG) meeting under Indian G20 Presidency concluded in Chennai on 25 March 2023.
• The two-day meeting was co-chaired by V. Anantha Nageswaran, India’s Chief Economic Advisor, and Clare Lombardelli, Chief Economic Adviser, United Kingdom Treasury.
• Around 87 delegates from G20 member countries, and international organisations attended the meeting.

World Theatre Day: 27 March

• World Theatre Day is celebrated on 27 March annually across the world to raise the importance of the art form “theatre” and to act as a wake-up call for governments that have not yet recognized its value to the people.
• It was initiated in 1961 by the International Theatre Institute.
• The theme of World Theatre Day 2023 is “Theatre and a Culture of Peace.”

Manu Bhaker wins 25m Pistol Bronze in ISSF World Cup 2023

• Olympian shooter Manu Bhaker, on 26 March 2023 clinched the 25m pistol bronze medal in the ISSF Pistol/Rifle World Cup in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
• China tops the medal tally with 10 medals at the Bhopal World Cup including six golds, 2 silver and 2 bronze medals.
• India lies second with the 1 gold won by Sarabjot Singh in the men’s 10m air pistol as well as one silver and four bronze medals.

ISRO launches India’s largest LVM3 rocket with 36 satellites

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched India’s largest Launch Vehicle Mark-III (LVM3) rocket/OneWeb India-2 Mission with 36 satellites onboard from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh on 26 March 2023.
• The 36 first-generation satellites weighing 5,805 kgs will be placed into a 450 km circular orbit with an inclination of about 87.4 degrees.

Environment Minister launches Aravalli Green Wall Project in Gurugram

• Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on 26 Mar 2023, launched the Aravalli Green Wall Project in Gurugram, Haryana.
• It is a major initiative to green a 5 km buffer area around the Aravalli Hill Range in four states.
• He also unveiled the National Action Plan to combat desertification through forestry interventions.
• It will also improve the soil fertility and climate resilience of the region.

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty win Swiss Open doubles title

• Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty won the men’s doubles title after defeating Ren Xiangyu and Tan Qiang at the Swiss Open Super Series 300 badminton tournament on 26 March 2023.
• Both claimed the India Open and French Open in 2022, Thailand Open in 2019 and Hyderabad Open in 2018.
• Satwik and Chirag also won the 2022 Commonwealth Games gold.

Dhanush & Jyoshna win bronze medals at IWF World Youth Championships

• Indian weightlifters Dhanush Loganathan and Jyoshna Sabar won bronze medals in their respective categories at the IWF World Youth Championships in Durres, Albania on 26 March 2023.
• Jyoshna Sabar was competing in the women’s 40kg event and had a combined lift of 115kg.
• Dhanush lifted 200kg weight to finish third in the men’s 49kg event.
• He also won a silver medal in the snatch category.

Mumbai Indians win inaugural Women’s Premier League title 2023

• Mumbai Indians defeated the Delhi Capitals by 7 wickets and with that they become the first-ever Women’s Premier League champions on 26 March 2023.
• Nat Sciver-Brunt was awarded the player of the match.
• Harmanpreet Kaur won the award for catch of the season.
• Hayley Matthews was awarded the purple cap and Meg Lanning won the orange cap.
• Hayley Matthews was the most valuable player

Indian women boxers win 4 gold at Women’s World Boxing Championships

• Nikhat Zareen and Lovlina Borgohain won gold medals at the 2023 World Women’s Boxing Championships in New Delhi on 26 March 2023.
• Tokyo Olympics medallist Lovlina Borgohain beat Australia’s Caitlin Parker in the 75kg category while Nikhat Zareen won in the 50kg category final.
• Nitu Ghanghas and Saweety Boora have also won the gold medals in the 48kg category and 81kg category respectively.

Union Min Jyotiraditya Scindia flags off 1st Delhi-Dharamshala flight

• Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur, Union Minister for Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia, and Union MoS for Civil Aviation General V.K.Singh on 26 March 2023 flagged off the first Indigo Airline Delhi-Dharamshala flight.
• Indigo Airlines will operate daily flights to Dharamshala from Delhi.
• It is the seventh-largest airline in the world in terms of departures.

Jammu and Kashmir’s Aliya Mir wins Wildlife Conservation Award 2023

• Aliya Mir, a prominent sociologist and the first woman from Jammu and Kashmir to work for Wildlife animals, has been awarded the wildlife conservation award 2023.
• She was awarded for her achievements in wildlife conservation including the rescue and release of wild animals, injured animal care, and bear rescue in Kashmir.
• She is the first woman to receive the award from J&K region.

Popular Malayalam actor Innocent passes away

• Popular Malayalam actor and former Lok Sabha MP Innocent passed away in Kochi on 26 March 2023.
• The actor made his silver screen debut in 1972 with Nrithasala.
• In a career spanning five decades, he featured in over 750 films, including Akkare Ninnoru Maran, and Devaasuram.
• He also served as the president of Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) for 15 years.

Russia announces to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus

• Russia has reached an agreement with Belarus to station tactical nuclear weapons on its smaller neighbour’s territory on 26 March 2023.
• The Russian president Vladimir Putin made the announcement that it would not breach non-proliferation agreements.
• Belarus shares a long border with Ukraine, and with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members Poland, Lithuania and Latvia.

BRO opens Leh-Manali Highway in a record 138 days

• The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) opened the Leh-Manali Highway (NH3) for traffic, in a record time of 138 days on 26 March 2023.
• The 427-km strategic Leh-Manali Highway (NH3) connects Ladakh to the rest of India via Manali.
• The 16,561 ft Shinku La pass on the Nimmu-Padam-Darcha (NPD) road was also opened on 25 March after a gap of 55 days.

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Current Affairs 25th March 2023

Home Min Amit Shah attends 84th raising day of CRPF in Chhattisgarh

• Union Home Minister Amit Shah attended the 84th Raising Day event of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Chhattisgarh on 25 March 2023.
• He also paid tribute to CRPF personnel in Chhattisgarh’s Jagdalpur.
• Founded in 2006, CRPF is a federal police organisation in India under the authority of the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Government of India.

France, UK bans TikTok app from public employee work phones

• French government on 25 March 2023, announced a ban on the ‘recreational’ use of popular social media apps like TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram on government employees owing to concerns surrounding data security.
• The United Kingdom Parliament has also announced to ban of the Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok from all parliamentary devices and the wider parliamentary network.

PM Modi inaugurates 13.7 km Whitefield-KR Pura Metro Line in Bengaluru

• PM Narendra Modi on 25 March 2023 inaugurated the 13.71 km Whitefield -to-Krishnarajapuram Metro Line in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• He also inaugurated the ‘Sri Madhusudan Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (SMSIMSR) & ‘Sri Sathya Sai Rajeswari Memorial Block’, a totally-free-of-cost medical college and hospital, at Muddenahalli in Chikkaballapura district, Karnataka.

Intel Co-Founder Gordon Moore passes away

• Intel co-founder Gordon E. Moore, who revolutionized the manufacture of semiconductor chips and transformed computing, passed away on March 24, 2023.
• He gave Moore’s law, which defined the rate of the invention in semiconductors.
• In 2009, Moore was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.
• He was awarded the 2010 Dan David Prize for his work in the area of Computers.

Centre extends AFSPA in parts of Nagaland, Arunachal for 6 months

• The Ministry of Home Affairs on 25 March 2023, extended the Armed Forces Special Powers (AFSPA) Act 1958 in parts of Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland for 6 months.
• The AFSPA empowers security forces to arrest a person without a warrant, or search premises without a warrant.
• In 2022, Union govt had declared Changlang, Tirap and Longding districts in Arunachal Pradesh as ‘disturbed areas’.

A book titled ‘War and Women’ on war crimes released at UNHRC Session

• A book titled ‘War and Women’ depicting war crimes during the Bangladesh Liberation War was released during the 52nd Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on 24 March 2023.
• The book written by Dr MA Hasan documents the magnitude of sexual harassment, torture and killings committed by the Pakistan Army during the 1971 Liberation War.

CCEA approves MSP for Raw Jute at 5,050 rupees per quintal for 2023-24

• Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved Minimum Support Price for Raw Jute at 5050 rupees per quintal for the 2023-24 season.
• The approval is based on recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).
• It was announced in line with the principle of fixing the MSP at a level of at least 1.5 times all India’s weighted average cost of production.

NIUA organises first Urban Climate Film Festival in New Delhi

• The first Urban Climate Film Festival under Urban-20 engagement events is being organized in New Delhi by the National Institute of Urban Affairs from 24-26 March 2023.
• A curated selection of 11 films from nine countries is being showcased at the festival.
• The festival is being organized by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the French Development Agency, and the European Union.

AHF honours Hockey India for successfully hosting 2023 FIH World Cup

• Hockey India on 24 March 2023, was awarded the Best Organiser Award by the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) for successfully hosting the Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023.
• The award was received by Hockey India Secretary General Bhola Nath Singh during the AHF Congress held in Mungyeong, Korea.
• Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium, Rourkela is the largest-seated hockey stadium in the world.

Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya chairs 36th Board Meeting of Stop TB Partnership

• Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya chaired the 36th Board Meeting of the Stop Tuberculosis (TB) Partnership on 25 Mar’23.
• An “Accountability Report of TB-affected Communities & Civil Society: Priorities to Close the Deadly Divide” was also launched at the event.
• India identified 3 health priorities under the G20 Presidency, focused on universal health coverage.

Dr. Tapan Saikia conferred Assam’s highest civilian award

• Assam Governor Gulab Chand Kataria on 24 March 2023 conferred state civilian awards – Assam Baibhav, Assam Saurav, and Assam Gaurav on 21 personalities.
• Assam’s highest civilian award ‘Assam Baibhav’ was presented to renowned oncologist Dr. Tapan Kumar Saikia for his contributions to cancer care.
• The second highest honor, the ‘Assam Saurav’ award was presented to five people.

North Korea tests underwater nuclear-capable attack drone

• North Korea tested a new underwater nuclear-capable attack drone on 24 March 2023.
• The North Korean military deployed and tested-fired the new weapons system during a military drill directed by Kim Jong Un.
• The drone was placed in the ocean near South Hamgyong province as part of the experiment, and it drifted there for 59 hours and 12 minutes.

International Day of Unborn Child: 25 March

• The International Day of the Unborn Child is observed annually on 25 March to commemorate the opposition to abortion.
• The day is associated with the late Pope John Paul II who opposed the medical procedure of abortion.
• The theme of International Day of the Unborn Child 2023 is “the dignity and value of children yet-to-be-born.”

RBI imposes monetary penalty of ₹30 lakh on Karur Vysya Bank

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 24 March 2023 imposed a penalty of ₹30 lakh on Karur Vysya Bank for violating rules.
• A Select Scope Inspection (SSI) of Karur Vysya Bank was conducted by the central bank.
• As per the report, the bank failed to report a few accounts as frauds to RBI within a week of the respective Joint Lenders’ Forum (JLF) decision to do so.

Renowned filmmaker Pradeep Sarkar passes away

• Renowned filmmaker Pradeep Sarkar, on 24 March 2023 passed away.
• He started his directing debut with Vidya Balan’s Parineeta in 2005. Other films directed by him are Mardaani (2014), Laga Chunari Mein Daag, and Lafangey Parindey (2010).
• In 2005, He was awarded Filmfare Award for Best Art Direction for Parineeta.
• In 2006, he won Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director.

Viacom18 to broadcast MotoGP in India

• Reliance Industries-owned Viacom18, on 24 March 2023 secured a rights deal for MotoGP to be streamed on its JioCinema and Sports18 platforms.
• The MotoGP World Championship is a motorcycle racing competition.
• The 2023 season will have 21 races across 18 countries, including its 14th round will be held first time in India.
• FairStreet Sports is organising the MotoGP championship in India.

HDFC Mutual Fund files for India’s first Sovereign Green Bond

• HDFC Mutual Fund, on 24 March 2023 filed for India’s first Target Maturity Funds tracking Sovereign Green Bonds (SGrBs) – HDFC Nifty India Sovereign Green Bond Jan 2028 Index Fund & HDFC Nifty India SGrBs Jan 2033 Index Fund.
• SGrBs are bonds issued by the Govt of India, whose proceeds will be deployed in public sector projects which help in reducing the carbon intensity of the economy.

Govt to set up panel to improve national pension scheme

• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on March 24 announced the constitution of a committee to propose changes to the National Pension System (NPS).
• It will be chaired by the finance secretary which will look into this issue of pension and evolve an approach that addresses the need of employees.
• NPS has been made available to every Indian citizen from May 1, 2009, on a voluntary basis.

India has most number of female pilots in the world: DGCA Report

• According to a report released by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on 24 March 2023, 15% of the pilots in the country are women.
• As per the DGCA, it is three times the global average of 5%.
• However, there is no special program to encourage pilot training for women, SC, and ST communities.
• In 1989, Nivedita Bhasin became the youngest commercial airline captain in the world.

Nepal permits NHPC Ltd to carry out study of Seti River Hydro Project

• The Investment Board of Nepal (IBN) on 23 March 2023, permitted National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) Limited to carry out a study of the 450 MW Seti River-6 Hydropower Project.
• The proposed project will be constructed in Doti and Achham districts.
• As per the agreement, Nepal will also get 21.9 percent free energy from the Seti Hydropower Project.

Union govt launches National Rabies Control Programme (NRCP)

• The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Ministry of Health, launched the National Rabies Control Programme (NRCP) for the prevention and control of Rabies in March 2023.
• The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) has also requested the concerned authorities to take appropriate action and to effectively implement the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules, 2023 to control the dog population.

One Tigress each to be released to Kota’s Mukundra & Bundi’s Ramgarh

• One tigress each will be released to Kota’s Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve and Bundi’s Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan.
• This decision was taken in a meeting attended by Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav and Loksabha speaker Om Birla in New Delhi on 24 March 2023.
• Gaurs and wild dogs and some other wild animals will also be released in the reserve area.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi disqualified as Lok Sabha MP

• Congress leader and Member of Parliament from Wayanad, Kerala, Rahul Gandhi, on 24 March 2023, was disqualified from Lok Sabha.
• He was convicted by a Surat court in the criminal defamation case on March 23 over his ‘Modi surname’ remark.
• The court of chief judicial magistrate HH Varma held Rahul Gandhi guilty under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 499 and 500.

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) discovers coronal hole on Sun

• NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) has discovered a massive coronal hole on the Sun, which is about 30 times the size of Earth.
• Coronal holes are imaginary holes that do not exist on the surface of the Sun.
• They appear dark on the solar surface and shine less brightly than their surroundings because they are cooler.
• Coronal holes enable a greater flow of the solar wind.

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Current Affairs 24th March 2023

Day for Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations

• Every year on March 24, the International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and Victim Dignity is observed.
• It honours the memory of Monsignor Oscar Arnulfo Romero, who was assassinated on March 24, 1980.
• Monsignor Romero was an outspoken opponent of human rights violations against El Salvador’s most vulnerable citizens.

Ashneer Grover launches cricket fantasy sports app ‘CrickPe’

• BharatPe co-founder Ashneer Grover’s Third Unicorn on 23 March 2023 launched a cricket-focused fantasy sports app called CrickPe.
• It is the only fantasy cricket app in the world where with every match, the actual playing cricketers, cricketing bodies, and real team owners win cash rewards, along with the fantasy game-winners.

Govt to introduce GPS-based toll system in six months

• The government is planning to introduce new technologies including GPS-based toll collection systems to replace existing highway toll plazas in the next 6 months.
• The move is aimed at reducing traffic congestion and charging motorists for the exact distance travelled on the highways.
• NHAI’s toll revenue is currently Rs 40,000 crore and it is going to soar to Rs 1.40 lakh crore 2-3 years.

Nasa’s James Webb Space Telescope makes new discovery

• NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope made another out-of-this-world discovery: a giant red planet outside the solar system.
• The study is published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
• The planet is considered to be a “young planet” at only 150 million years old and that’s why the sky appeared turbulent.
• It also discovered clear detections of water, methane, and carbon monoxide.

26% of world’s population does not have safe drinking water: UNESCO

• 26% of the world’s population does not have safe drinking water and 46% lack access to safely managed sanitation, according to a report published by UNESCO at the UN 2023 Water Conference in New York.
• The global urban population facing water scarcity is projected to double from 930 million in 2016 to 1.7 to 2.4 billion people in 2050.

MP CM unveils State Youth Policy and Youth Portal

• MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan unveiled the State Youth Policy and a Youth Portal on 23 March 2023.
• He also informed that the State Level Youth Commission will be reconstituted by April 5.
• He also announced the implementation of Mukhya Mantri Yuva Kaushal Earning Scheme.
• Under this, an amount of at least Rs 8000 will be given to the youth every month on the basis of learning and earning.

India, UK hold joint maritime exercise ‘Konkan’ in Arabian Sea

• Konkan 2023, a joint maritime exercise, was conducted between the Royal Navy of Britain and the Indian Navy from the 20-22 March 2023, off the Konkan coast in the Arabian Sea.
• INS Trishul, a guided missile frigate, and HMS Lancaster, a Type 23 guided missile frigate, participated in this edition.
• The exercises covered all domains of maritime operations, air, surface, and subsurface.

Assam Rifles commemorates 188th Raising Day

• Assam Rifles- considered the oldest and most decorated Para Military Force of the country, celebrated its 188th Raising Day on 24 March 2023.
• Assam Rifles was raised on March 24, 1835.
• During 2022-23, three battalions received Chief of the Army Staff Unit Citation and five Battalions received General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Unit Citation

RBI teams wins UTT-84th Senior National and Inter-State TT C’ships

• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) scripted a 3-2 win over Tamil Nadu in the women’s final of the UTT-84th Senior National and Inter-State table tennis championships in Jammu on 23 March 2023..
• Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB) won 3-1 over Railways in the men’s final for its 26th title.
• The Tamil Nadu and RBI women played 21 out of 25 games.

PM Modi addresses One World TB Summit at Varanasi

• PM Narendra Modi addressed the One World TB Summit in Varanasi on 24 March 2023.
• He also dedicated and laid the foundation stone of various projects worth more than 1,780 crores rupees on the occasion.
• He laid the foundation stone of the Passenger Ropeway from Varanasi Cantt station to Godowlia.
• India will be the third country in the world where the ropeway is used for public transport.

Tamil Nadu Assembly re-adopts Bill against online gambling

• Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly has re-adopted the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling and Regulation of Online Games Bill, 2022 (L.A. Bill No. 53 of 2022).
• The Bill was first adopted in the Assembly on October 19, 2022.
• This is the second time the Tamil Nadu Assembly has re-adopted a Bill returned by the Governor.

World Tuberculosis (TB) Day: 24 March

• World Tuberculosis (TB) Day is observed annually on March 24 to raise awareness about TB and efforts to end the global epidemic.
• This date marks the day Dr. Robert Koch discovered the bacterium that causes TB in 1882.
• It is caused by bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) that most often affect the lungs.
• The theme for World Tuberculosis Day 2023 is “Yes! We can end TB!”

Amit Shah to chair Regional Conference on ‘Drug Trafficking’ on 24 Mar

• Union Home Minister Amit Shah will chair the Regional Conference on ‘Drug Trafficking and National Security’ in Bengaluru on 24 March 2023.
• It is being organised to curtail drug trafficking through maritime route and stringent punitive action on drug traffickers resulting into zero tolerance.
• Representatives from 5 Southern States & three Union Territories will also attend the Conference.

Infosys announces Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw’s retirement from board

• Infosys has announced the retirement of Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw as Independent Director of the Board, effective March 22, 2023, upon completion of her tenure.
• She was appointed to the board as an independent director in 2014 and as lead independent director in 2018.
• She also served as the chairperson of the nomination & remuneration committee of the Infosys board.

Indian Army, Air Force conduct joint drills ‘Vayu Prahar’ along LAC

• Indian Army and the Air force jointly conducted a Multi Domain Air-Land Exercise Vayu Prahar along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern command in March 2023.
• The exercise enables coordination and rehearsal amongst various agencies for quick mobilization, transportation and deployment of forces within a theatre that can be executed across theatres.

India clinches both men and women titles of Asian Kho Kho Championship

• Indian men’s and women’s teams defeated Nepal to clinch the Asian Kho Kho Championships titles held at Tamulpur in Assam on 23 March 2023.
• Assam Assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary and minister U G Brahma distributed the prizes.
• The participating countries were, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nepal, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka and host India.

MoD inks pact with BEL for Medium Power Radars ‘Arudhra’ & 129 DR-118

• Ministry of Defence, on March 23, 2023, signed two contracts with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) worth Rs 3,700 crore, to enhance the operational capabilities of the Indian Air Force.
• The first contract is for Medium Power Radars (MPR) ‘Arudhra’ for the Indian Air Force.
• The second contract, at an overall cost of approx. Rs 950 crore, relates to 129 DR-118 Radar Warning Receivers (RWR).

Union govt launches ‘DigiClaim’ for claim disbursal through NCIP

• Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar launched National Crop Insurance Portal’s (NCIP) digitized claim settlement module ‘DigiClaim’ in New Delhi on 23 March 2023.
• It was launched under the ambit of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).
• Under the module, claims will be disbursed electronically, which will benefit the respective farmers of six states.

Tourism Min to organize 1st Global Tourism Investor Summit in May 2023

• Under India’s G20 Presidency, the Ministry of Tourism will organize the country’s 1st Global Tourism Investors’ Summit (GTIS) in New Delhi from 17-19 May 2023.
• It will aim to attract investment in tourism industry such as Hospitality & Lodging, Eco-Tourism, Rural Tourism and others.
• A 100% Foreign direct investment (FDI) in the tourism and Hospitality sector is allowed under automatic route.

Union Min Sarbananda Sonowal launches Digital Platform ‘Sagar Manthan’

• Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Ayush Sarbananda Sonowal on 23 March 2023, launched the Real-time Performance Monitoring Dashboard ‘Sagar Manthan’.
• It is a Digital platform having all the integrated data related to the ministry and other subsidiaries.
• The dashboard will transform the workings of various departments by improving well-coordinated real-time information.

RK Singh to inaugurate National conference on ‘Biomass’ on 24 March

• Union Power & New and Renewable Energy Minister R. K. Singh will inaugurate the “National Conference on Biomass 3P – Pellet to Power to Prosperity” in New Delhi on 24 Mar 2023.
• It is being hosted by National Mission on Use of Biomass in Thermal Power Plants (SAMARTH).
• The conference aims to foster an enabling environment to boost co-firing of biomass pellets in Thermal Power Plants in India.

UP govt and QCI launch Uttar Pradesh Gunvatta Sankalp in Lucknow

• The Government of Uttar Pradesh and Quality Council of India, on 23 March 2023, launched the UP Quality Mission (Gunvatta Sankalp) at Lucknow, U.P.
• It was inaugurated by Deputy CM of UP Brajesh Pathak and launched by the Minister of Cooperation J. P. S. Rathore.
• It aims to contribute to the state’s vision of becoming a knowledge superpower and adopting transformative digitalisation.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurates 31 road projects in Jharkhand

• Union Road, Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of 31 road projects in Jharkhand worth 13200 crore rupees on 23 March 2023.
• The projects include Varanasi-Ranchi Economic Corridor, double-decker elevated Corridor in Jamshedpur, and Bokaro-Jaina More-Gola-Ormanjhi Expressway were the few important road links under these schemes.

The UN 2023 Water Conference inaugurated in New York

• The United Nations 2023 Water Conference is being held from March 22 to 24 in New York, USA.
• It is the first summit on water in 50 years and is being hosted by Tajikistan and the Netherlands.
• The conference seeks to bring greater focus on water, which is a critical foundation for many of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, including health, food, gender equity and the environment.

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Current Affairs 23rd March 2023

RINL wins the national level JCSSI Ispat Suraksha Puraskar

• RINL Visakhapatnam received national level safety Awards “Ispat Suraksha Puraskar” during annual award function held at SSO Ranchi and on 22-03-2023 organised by JCSSI.
• RINL Bagged four prizes in BF and Raw materials zone for the years 2020-21 and 2021-22.
• RINL Visakhapatnam also bagged Prestigious Award for “Zero Fatal Accident involving Contract Labour” for the year 2022.

India win bronze medal in 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team event in Bhopal

• Indian pair Narmada Nithin Raju and Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil won bronze medal as they beat China mix team by 16-8 in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team bronze medal match in ISSF World Cup shooting championship in Bhopal on 23 March 2023.
• India’s Sarabjot Singh clinched the gold medal while Varun Tomar finished with bronze in the men’s 10m Air Pistol event.

Delhi government presents ₹78,800 crore budget for 2023-24

• The Delhi government on 22 March 2023 presented ₹78,800 crore budget estimates for the financial year 2023-24.
• It has focus on enhancing the infrastructure, sanitation, transportation facilities besides the usual focus on health and education.
• The theme of the budget is “Saaf Sundar aur Aadhunik Dilli”.
• In 2022-23, the Delhi government had presented ₹75,800 crore budget.

‘Call Before You Dig’ app launched by PM Modi

• PM Narendra Modi on 22 March 2023 launched an app called ‘Call Before u Dig’.
• It will help prevent uncoordinated digging that results in damage to underground utility assets like optical fibre cables, costing the government thousands of crores every year.
• It has been developed by the department of telecommunications and the Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geoinformatics.

Ratan Tata appointed in ‘Order of Australia’ for distinguished service

• For distinguished service to the Australia-India bilateral relationship, Indian industrialist and philanthropist Ratan Tata has been appointed as an Honorary Officer in the General Division of the Order of Australia (AO).
• Ratan Tata is Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons, former Chairman of the Tata Group, and one of the richest entrepreneurs in the world.

Hindustan Zinc’s mines become the 1st GreenCo Certified Mines

• Hindustan Zinc has bagged the GreenCo Silver rating by CII for its sustainable mining operations.
• The GreenCo Rating is a holistic framework that evaluates businesses on the environmental friendliness of their activities.
• Recently, it has also earned a spot in the S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook for the 6th time by being ranked amongst the top 5% ESG Score in the metals & mining sector.

Lalit Kumar Gupta appointed as CMD of Cotton Corporation of India

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Lalit Kumar Gupta as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Cotton Corporation of India (CCI).
• CCI is a PSU under the Ministry of Textile.
• Presently, he is serving as Director (Finnane) in the same organisation.
• He is also a member of the Institute of the Company Secretaries of India (ICSI).

U.S.-Argentine researcher wins Abel Prize for maths

• The Abel Prize for mathematics has been awarded to Argentine-American Luis Caffarelli, an expert in “partial differential equations” which can explain phenomena ranging from how water flows to population growth.
• He is professor at the University of Texas.
• This type of equation models how several variables change with respect to each other, and play a prominent role in many disciplines.

IIT Bombay ranks first in country in Engineering and Technology

• IIT Bombay has been ranked first in India and 47th globally in Engineering and Technology in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings by Subject for 2023.
• The institute scored 80.4 out of 100.
• Overall, the institute improved upon its 2022 performance by 18 places.
• In overall QS World University rankings, IIT Bombay ranks 172nd globally.

I-T dept launches app for taxpayers to view interest, dividend income

• The Income Tax department has launched the ‘AIS for Taxpayer’ mobile app.
• It will give taxpayers a comprehensive view of their information related to TDS/TCS, interest, dividends and share transactions, and an option to provide feedback.
• The taxpayer also has the option and the facility to provide feedback on the information displayed in the app.

Ranveer Singh pips Virat Kohli as most valued celebrity in 2022

• Ranveer Singh has become the most valued celebrity for endorsements in 2022, replacing Indian batter Virat Kohli, according to a new ‘Celebrity Brand Valuation’ report by corporate investigation and risk consulting firm, Kroll.
• He has an overall value of USD 181.7 million in 2022, up from USD 158.3 million in 2021.
• Among the women, Alia Bhatt tops the list.

Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurates Vedic Heritage portal in New Delhi

• Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the Vedic Heritage portal in New Delhi on 23 March 2023.
• The portal will be a one-stop solution for the user, who would like to search any information regarding the Vedic heritage.
• The audio-visual recording of four Vedas have been uploaded on the Vedic Heritage portal.
• It has over 18,000 mantras of the four vedas with a duration of over 550 hours.

G20 Research and Innovation Initiative Gathering held in Assam

• The two-day G20 Research and Innovation Initiative Gathering (RIIG) Conference began in Dibrugarh, Assam on 23 March 2023.
• It deliberated on ways towards building a sustainable and circular bio-economy.
• About 100 delegates from G20 members, guest countries and International organizations, along with invited participants from the scientific community were present on the occasion.

Lok Sabha approves ₹1.18 lakh crore budget for Jammu and Kashmir

• The Lok Sabha on 22 March 2023, passed the over ₹1.18 lakh crore budget for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir for 2023-24.
• The 35% capital expenditure at ₹41491cr is to be spent on development and infrastructure.
• The expected revenue receipts are ₹1,06,061 crore, whereas revenue expenditure is expected to be ₹77,009 crores.
• The economy of Jammu and Kashmir is expected to grow at 10%.

Martyrs’ Day: 23 March

• Martyrs’ Day is celebrated on 23 March every year to commemorate the martyrdom of Bhagat Singh, Shivram Rajguru, and Sukhdev Thapar who were hanged to death by the Britishers.
• Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev were hanged at the age of 23, whereas Rajguru was only 22.
• To avenge Lala Lajpat Rai’s killing, they attempted to bomb the Central Legislative Assembly on April 8, 1929.

World Meteorological Day: 23 March

• World Meteorological Day is observed every year on 23 March to commemorate the World Meteorological Organization’s creation on 23 March 1950.
• The first World Meteorological Day was held on 23 March 1961.
• It began operations in 1951 to coordinate member nations in the fields of meteorology & Earth sciences.
• The theme for 2023 is “The Future of Weather, Climate and Water across Generations.”

Guinness World Records names ‘The Weeknd’ most popular artist globally

• The Weeknd was named the most popular artist in the world according to Guinness World Records on 22 March 2023.
• The organization awarded the title to the pop star after analyzing the popular streaming platform data of some of the biggest names in the music industry.
• Guinness World Records is a reference book published annually, listing world records of the extremes of the natural world.

AIM launches ‘Stories of Change’ for promoting grassroots innovations

• Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) launched the ‘Stories of Change’ a series of captivating journeys of 15 change-makers from grassroots.
• These stories of impact creators from across India are aimed at inspiring entrepreneurs.
• AIM will be bringing such stories in future as well to give a platform to community innovators and will also provide support to every grassroots innovators.

Nepal’s festival of horses ‘Ghode Jatra’ observed in Lalitpur

• Ghode Jatra, also known as the festival of horses, was observed in Nepal’s Lalitpur on 21 March 2022.
• The Ghode Jatra festival was observed by the Malla regime(13th to 18th Century).
• It is observed annually following the belief that its observation started as a celebration of the victory over a demon named Gurumapa (also called Tundi) in ancient times.

Sarabjot Singh wins Gold in Men’s 10m air pistol at ISSF World Cup

• India’s Sarabjot Singh bagged the first gold Medal of the ISSF World Cup Shooting Championship in the Men’s 10m air pistol category, held in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh on 22 March 2023.
• Sarabjot Singh completed a clean sweep in the gold medal match with a perfect score of 10.9.
• Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan inaugurated the event on 21 March 2023.

Joe Biden signs bill to declassify intelligence about Covid-19 origins

• US President Joe Biden has signed a bipartisan bill that directs the federal government to declassify intelligence about the origins of Covid-19.
• The legislation was passed by both the House and Senate and cites potential links between the research that was done in the Wuhan lab and the outbreak of Covid-19.
• World Health Organisation (WHO) declared Covid-19 a pandemic on March 11, 2020.

PM Modi inaugurates ITU Area Office & Innovation Center

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi said as he inaugurated the new International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Area Office and Innovation Centre in New Delhi on 22 March 2023.
• He also unveiled the Bharat 6G Vision Document.
• The new ITU office will serve India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Afghanistan, and Iran and it will also ensure economic cooperation in the region.

Environment Minister chairs 1st General Body Meeting of NCSCM

• Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav chaired the 1st General Body Meeting of the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, (NCSCM) in New Delhi on 22 March 2023.
• It was held to focus on sustainable infrastructure and the livelihoods of coastal communities.
• He directed NCSCM to contribute to the mission of MISHTI (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes).

Twenty sixth edition of ‘Elevate Expo’ held in Dubai

• The Twenty-sixth edition of ‘Elevate Expo’ was held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) on 22 March 2023.
• The six startups who participated in today’s elevate session were winners of the National Startup Awards 2022.
• Elevate is a pitching series organized by the Consulate General of India in Dubai, providing a platform for startups to connect with investors and global counterparts.

Mukesh Ambani only Indian in top 10 Hurun Global Rich List 2023

• Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) Chairman, Mukesh Ambani is the only Indian to feature in the list of top ten billionaires in the world, according to the 2023 Hurun Global Rich List.
• Regarding the number of billionaires, India ranks third in the 2023 Hurun Global Rich List.
• The number of billionaires dropped by 8% and their total wealth decreased by 10% compared with 2022.

Himachal Pradesh signs MoU with French agency worth Rs 817.12-crore

• Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu signed an MoU of Rs 817 crore project with the French development agency Agence Francaise de Development (AFD) to improve drinking water and sanitation services in the state.
• The MoU aims to provide better sewerage facilities in Manali, Bilaspur, Palampur, Nahan, and Karsog to improve drinking water supply in Manali and Palampur towns.

M T Vasudevan Nair awarded Kerala’s highest civilian honour

• Kerala Governor Arif Muhammad Khan has presented the maiden ‘Kerala Puraskarngal’, the state awards to eminent personalities on 22 March 2023.
• The awards were given in three categories namely “Kerala Jyothi”, “Kerala Prabha” and “Kerala Shri”.
• Kerala’s highest civilian honor “Kerala Jyothi” was awarded to writer M T Vasudevan Nair.

Nearly 150,000 without electricity as bomb cyclone lands in California

• A bomb cyclone slammed into Northern California, USA on 22 March 2023.
• California has been hammered by a series of storms known as atmospheric rivers since December 2022, bringing flooding rains and record snowfalls across the Sierra Nevada and other mountains.
• A bomb cyclone is a fast-developing storm that occurs when atmospheric pressure drops at least 24 millibars over a 24-hour period.

Putin visits Mariupol in first trip to occupied territory

• Russian President Vladimir Putin made a surprise trip to Mariupol on 21 March 2023.
• It was Putin’s first trip to the eastern Donbas region since he launched the invasion in February 2022, and comes almost a year after Moscow announced the capture of Mariupol.
• Putin also met army chiefs in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don near the border with Ukraine.

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