NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. PM Modi launches World’s Longest
River Cruise-MV Ganga Vilas at Varanasi: PM Narendra Modi launched the World’s Longest River
Cruise-MV Ganga Vilas at Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh via video conferencing on
13th Jan 2023. He has also inaugurated Tent City at Varanasi.
About Cruise:
·
It will begin its journey
from Varanasi to Dibrugarh in Assam via Bangladesh.
·
It will sail around 3,200 km in
51 days.
·
It will cover major cities
of India and Bangladesh - Patna (Bihar), Sahib Ganj (Jharkhand), Kolkata
(WB), Dhaka (Bangladesh), and Guwahati (Assam)
2. Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal
inaugurated School of Logistics: The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush, Sarbananda
Sonowal, and Tripura CM, Manik Saha have inaugurated the
School of Logistics, Waterways, and Communication in Agartala, Tripura. Aim: To
enable the talent to become world-class experts in the transportation and
logistics sector. It has been set up under State Institute of Public
Administration and Rural Development (SIPARD), an autonomous body funded by the
govt of Tripura and MoRD.
3. Garuda Aerospace launched surveillance drone named Droni: Garuda Aerospace and Former cricketer, Mahendra Singh
Dhoni have launched a surveillance drone named ‘Droni.’ MS Dhoni is
an investor-cum-ambassador of Garuda Aerospace. Droni is
a battery-operated quadcopter surveillance drone. Garuda Aerospace
recently became the first-ever drone company in India to get dual DGCA
approvals for both drone manufacturing type certificate and RTPO. In 2022, he
unveiled the camera drone called Droni at the Global Drone Expo in
Chennai.
4. Meghalaya CM launched agriculture
response vehicle scheme: Meghalaya
CM, Conrad Sangma launched the shared school bus system, prime
tourism vehicles, and agriculture response vehicle scheme. The buses
are part of Sustainable Transport and Efficient Mobility Society (STEMS)
programme. Agriculture Response Vehicles: Provided to farmers' associations
and groups for a strong transportation network Prime tourist
vehicles: Step to improve the overall tourism sector, and to provide good
transportation services to tourists
5. ASI unearths two 1200-year-old
miniature stupas at Nalanda: The Patna circle of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has
discovered two miniature votive stupas dating back 1200
years near the Sarai Tila mound within the grounds of "Nalanda
Mahavihara". The stupas, carved from stone, depict Buddha figures. Nalanda
Mahavihara is a world heritage site in Bihar's Nalanda district. This site
comprises the archaeological remains of a monastic and scholastic institution
dating from the 3rd century BCE to the 13th century CE.
6. Godavari estuary in Andhra Pradesh
become prime habitat for Indian Skimmer: The Godavari estuary in Andhra Pradesh has
become a prime and safe habitat for the Indian skimmer (Rynchops
albicollis). On January 10, as many as 250 Indian Skimmers were
sighted in the southern part of the Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary (Andhra
Pradesh) in a day during the Asian Waterbird Census-2023. Indian
Skimmer migrates to the Godavari estuary for feeding. It is found in the
coastal estuaries of western and eastern India. IUCN status: Endangered
7. FSSAI notifies comprehensive regulatory
standards for Basmati Rice: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has
notified comprehensive regulatory standards for Basmati Rice for the
first time and will come into effect from 1 August 2023. Aim: To
establish fair practices in the trade of Basmati rice and protect consumer
interest. As per the standards, Basmati rice shall possess natural
fragrance characteristics of basmati rice and be free from artificial
colouring, polishing agents, and artificial fragrances.
8. PM Modi inaugurated 26th National
Youth Festival at Hubbali in Karnataka: Prime
Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated 26th National Youth
Festival, organized in Karnataka from 12th -16th January 2023. Theme of
this event: Viksit Yuva – Viksit Bharat.The event also included folk
dances and songs. The festival aims to step up the role of youth in nation
building during Amrit Kaal. It will be an endeavour to disseminate the message
of ‘Panch Pran’ espoused by the Prime Minister in his Independence Day address.
The festival brings diverse cultures from all parts of the country on a common
platform and unites the participants in the spirit of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha
Bharat. Over 7500 youngsters representing the states and Union Territories
India have congregated at the festival to exchange their talents. This festival
is held every year to provide exposure to our talented youth at the national
level. It is being held on National Youth Day (12th January), which is
celebrated on the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.
9. India’s fastest payment app ‘PayRup’
launched: India’s fastest payment app has
launched. PayRup is built by the cutting-edge technology of web 3.0. It
provides advanced digital payment experience with outstanding user experience. PayRup
users can pay utility bills and landline bills, recharge their mobile,
broadband, DTH, and purchase Gift Cards. PayRup services are planned to expand
across various financial instruments, including multiple payment services such
as school fees, pay rent, and other payment collection services. Recently,
PayRup has announced ticketing and booking services for flights, buses, and
hotels along with a few other USPs. PayRup opens 24/7 customer care facilities
for help and support for users. The customer support desk runs with leading CRM
technologies and supports by global standard.
PayRup ensures
the 5 dimensions of service quality and follows SERVQUAL standard to
provide the best service experience. The launching event was hosted in
Bangalore and was launched by Mahadevappa Halagatti.
10. India successfully carried out test
launch of Prithvi-Il ballistic missile: Defence
Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has successfully
launched Short-Range Ballistic Missile (SRBM) Prithvi-Il from the
Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, Odisha coast. The missile, which is powered
by light propulsion twin engines, has a range of around 350 km and can
carry 500-1,000 kg of warheads. It uses an advanced inertial navigation system
to strike the set target.
Prithvi-Il missile is a
well-established system. The Prithvi-II was earlier successfully test-fired
during night hours in 2018 and in 2019. Prithvi was developed by the DRDO under
the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Cognizant appoints former Infosys president Ravi Kumar as CEO: Former Infosys president, Ravi Kumar has been
appointed as the new chief executive officer of Cognizant with immediate
effect. He has succeeded CEO Brian Humphries, who will be departing from the
company on March 15, 2023. The IT Giant Cognizant had previously announced
the appointment of Ravi as President of Cognizant Americas, which will be
given to Cognizant veteran Surya Gummadi. He has 20 years of experience in
Infosys, where he held various leadership roles.
2. 13th Ministerial-level meeting of
the India-US Trade Policy Forum held in Washington: Union
Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal has
participated 13th Ministerial Meeting of the India-US Trade Policy Forum
in Washington DC, USA. Before the delegation-level talks, CIM also held a
one-to-one meeting with USTR Ambassador Katherine Tai. The Ministers underlined
the significance of the TPF in forging robust bilateral trade ties and
enhancing the bilateral economic relationship to benefit working people in both
countries. TPF aims to lay the foundation for forging robust bilateral trade
ties and enhancing the bilateral economic relationship between both countries. India
and US launched a new working group on “Resilient Trade” to deepen bilateral
dialogue.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. Footballer
Gareth Bale announced his retirement from professional football: Former Tottenham and Real Madrid star, Gareth
Bale has announced his retirement from professional football. Bale
made his Wales debut in 2006 against Trinidad and Tobago. He has won Wales’
player of the year award six times. Bale was once the world’s most expensive
player when he joined Real Madrid for $132 million in 2013 and, alongside
Cristiano Ronaldo, was a devastating forward capable of surging runs and
brilliant goals with his powerful left foot. Bale played a record of 111 games
for his country and was a five-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid. He
captained Wales in their first European Chamninnahin.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. SBI launched e-Bank Guarantee
facility: SBI has associated with
National e-Governance Services Ltd (NeSL) to launch e-Bank Guarantee
(e-BG) facility. It will bring a revolutionary change in the banking
ecosystem, where bank guarantee is frequently used in large volumes.
Presently,
the bank issues these guarantees with physical stamping and wet
signatures. It will replace this function with e-stamping and e-signature.
This initiative will enhance transparency and reduce turnaround time from
days to minutes.
2. NRIs can use international numbers
for UPI payments: NPCI has
allowed non-resident holders - NRE/ NRO accounts to
get onboarded and transact through UPI. The UPI ecosystem members must
comply with NPCI's directions by April 30, 2023. Allowed countries (10
countries): Singapore, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Oman, Qatar, USA,
Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom This is subject to
the fact that the member banks must ensure that such accounts are only
allowed as per extant FEMA regulations.
OBITUARIES
1. Former Union Minister Sharad Yadav passes away: Former Union Minister, Sharad Yadav has passed away at the age of 75 in Gurugram, Haryana. He had started his political career during the anti-emergency movement of the mid-1970s. He was first elected to the Lok Sabha at the age of 27 in 1974. He was elected from Uttar Pradesh's Badaun parliamentary seat in 1989. He was also elected from Bihar's Madhepura Lok Sabha constituency in 1991, 1996, 1999, and 2009. He had launched his own party Loktantrik Janata Dal.
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