NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Cabinet approves “Vibrant Villages
Programme”: The Union Cabinet has
approved the Centrally Sponsored Scheme “Vibrant Villages
Programme” for the Financial Years 2022-23 to 2025-26 with a
financial allocation of Rs. 4800 Crore. The scheme will provide funds for the
development of essential infrastructure and the creation of livelihood
opportunities. In the first phase, 663 Villages will be taken up in
the program. Aim: To improve the quality of life of people living in
identified border villages.
2. Cabinet approves MoU between India,
Chile in agricultural sector: The Union Cabinet, chaired by PM Modi, has approved the signing
MoU between India and Chile for cooperation in the field of Agriculture
and Allied sectors. Main areas of cooperation: Agricultural policies for the
development of modern agriculture Organic agriculture to facilitate the
bilateral trade of organic products Promote innovation in the agricultural
sector Both countries will constitute a Chile-India Agricultural
Working Group. Chile Capital: Santiago
3. Cabinet approves MoU for cooperation
in Disability Sector: The Union
Cabinet has approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India
and South Africa for cooperation in the Disability Sector. The decision was
taken in the Cabinet meeting headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Aim: To
encourage cooperation between the Department of Empowerment of Persons with
Disabilities in India and South Africa This MoU will strengthen the
bilateral ties between India and South Africa. South Africa President: Cyril
Ramaphosa
4. India and Spain agree to collaborate on digital infrastructure: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Spanish counterpart,
Pedro Sánchez had a telephone conversation to discuss ways
to further strengthen the growing relationship between both countries. Both
leaders discussed a number of bilateral and international issues of mutual
interest. They also agreed to collaborate on issues such
as digital infrastructure, climate action, clean energy transition, and
sustainable development. Spain Capital: Madrid
5. Union Cabinet approves construction
of Shinku La Tunnel: The I&B Minister,
Anurag Singh Thakur has informed that the Union Cabinet has approved the
construction of the Shinku La Tunnel in Ladakh. Reason: To provide
all-weather connectivity in Ladakh region The construction work of
this 4.1-kilometer tunnel will be completed by December 2025. The
total expenditure on this project will be 1,681 crore rupees. The tunnel
will lead to the development of the region and boost the tourism, Health, and
education sectors.
6. Indian Army gets 'World's First'
fully operational SWARM Drone System: Bengaluru-based start-up, NewSpace Research has
delivered SWARM drones to Indian Army. These drone systems will make the Army
the first major armed force in the world to operationalize with these
high-density SWARM drones. The swarm of 100 drones is capable of hitting
targets at least 50 km away into enemy territory. It is a part of the
Aatmanirbhar effort to indigenize critical and disruptive military
technologies.
7. Ladakh to host India’s first
frozen-lake marathon at Pangong Tso: India’s first
“Frozen-Lake Marathon” at Ladakh’s Pangong Tso at a height of 13,862
feet will be held on 20 February 2023.
The Indian army and the
Indo-Tibetan Border Police have been roped in to implement a “proper action
plan” for the event. The 21-kilometer marathon will be started from Lukung and
ended at Maan village. The event will be participated by 75 selected athletes
from India and abroad. The marathon is being called the “Last Run” to highlight
the issue of climate change
8. PM Modi inaugurated national Aadi
Mahotsa in New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra
Modi has inaugurated the national Aadi Mahotsav at Major Dhyan Chand
National Stadium, New Delhi. The festival is
scheduled between 16 to 27 February 2023 and it will celebrate the
tribal spirit including its culture, crafts, cuisine, commerce and traditional
art. Around 1000 tribal artisans will participate in the Mahotsav. In line with
the International Year of Millets celebration, a special focus in the Mahotsav
will be on showcasing Shree Anna grown by the tribals.
9. India’s first electric AC
double-decker bus inaugurated in Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai
Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) has inaugurated the
country’s first electric air-conditioned (AC) double-decker bus in Mumbai.
The seating capacity of the Electric Double Decker Bus is 73. It is equipped
with CCTV cameras and automatic doors and can be charged in 80 minutes. The
tickets will be priced as before — a minimum fare of Rs 6 will be charged for a
distance of 5 km. Currently, the transport undertaking has 45 electric AC buses
of various sizes, and this year 100 more wet-lease buses will be added to its
fleet in phases.
10. 13 – 17 February 2023 – RBI’s
Financial Literacy Week: Reserve Bank of India
(RBI) has been conducting Financial Literacy Week (FLW) every year
since 2016 to propagate financial education messages on relevant themes
including “MSMEs”, “Credit Discipline and Credit from Formal Institutions” and
“Digital Financial Literacy” and so on. The theme for this year’s Financial
Literacy Week to be observed during 13 – 17 February 2023 is “Good
Financial Behaviour, Your Saviour”. The theme aligned with the strategic
objectives of the National Strategy for Financial Education: 2020-2025.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Egyptian President presented Global
Best M-GOV Awards on IIT Indore students: Students of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)
Indore have won an award of AED (Emirates Dirham) 1 million along
with a gold medal at the World Government Summit in Dubai. Niyati Totala
and Neil Kalpeshkumar Parikh who are students of the Indian Institute of
Technology (IIT) Indore were awarded this prestigious medal by the
President of Egypt, Abel Fattah El-Sisi. These students are the makers of the
‘Blockbill’ app. BlockBill is a blockchain-based receipt generation app that
generates digital receipts for all its users’ transactions.
·
Silver Award – ‘Don’t Waste’ team
(Uzbekistan)
·
Bronze Award – ‘Farmit’ team
(Serbia)
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. Smriti Mandhana created history,
became the most expensive player: India’s star
opener Smriti Mandhana has become the costliest player in
the ongoing player auction for the Women’s Premier League (WPL). Mandhana
joined Royal Challengers Bangalore for Rs 3.4 crore after winning the highest
bid in the ongoing Women’s Premier League 2023 auction in Mumbai.
Australia’s
Ashley Gardner was at number two in the list of expensive players. He was
bought by Gujarat Giants for Rs 3.20 crore. While Natalie Sciver is at number
three. She was bought by Mumbai Indians for 3.20 crores. India’s all-rounder
Deepti Sharma is at number four. Deepti is included in UP Warriors for 2.60
crores. Jemima Rodrigues was at number five. He was included in their team by
Delhi Capitals for 2.20 crores.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. Indian Overseas Bank launches
electronic bank guarantee scheme: Indian
Overseas Bank has launched the facility of issuance of the e-BG
(Electronic Bank Guarantee) scheme in association with
the National e-Governance Services Ltd. e-BG: An instrument issued by
the bank in which the bank agrees to guarantee a particular sum in the event
that the applicant fails to fulfill an action/performance. It is
a paperless mode with digital stamping and digital signature. Real-time
issuance would make it available for the beneficiary instantly.
2. Muthoot FinCorp launches Vyapar
Mitra: Muthoot FinCorp has
introduced ‘Vyapar Mitra Business Loans’ to provide working
capital and business loans to micro and small businesses like traders. This new
feature can offer business loans based on their daily cash flow without
additional collateral. Besides, one can receive a business loan without
Income Tax Return (ITR) papers and no prior CIBIL score records. Benefits: No
prepayment charges, loan renewals up to three times a year, and simple and fast
documentation
3. Paytm Payments Bank becomes first to
launch UPI LITE feature: Paytm Payments Bank Limited (PPBL) has launched the UPI LITE
feature, which is enabled by the National Payments Corporation of
India (NPCI) for multiple small-value UPI transactions. The feature
enables faster real-time transactions with a single click through Paytm. Aim: To
drive the adoption of digital payments across the country UPI LITE was launched
by the RBI in September 2022. A UPI LITE wallet allows a user to
do instant transactions of up to ₹200.
4. EbixCash becomes first entity to
enable UPI for foreign nationals: EbixCash Limited has become the first company in India to launch
and enable Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions for foreign
nationals visiting India. It will offer UPI services to international delegates
attending the G-20 summit, being held in India. This facility will
be enabled across all other entry points in the country. It can be
extended to foreign travelers after physical verification of the Passport
and Visa of the customers at the point of issuance.
5. CAMSPay receives RBI nod to operate
as payment aggregator: CAMSPay has received
in-principle approval from RBI to operate as a payment aggregator. It is a part
of Chennai-based Computer Age Management Services (CAMS) CAMS is
India’s largest registrar and transfer agent of mutual funds. CAMSPAy is a
payment platform specializing in solving the banking and finance services
sector's payment challenges. Payment aggregators are entities that
on-board digital merchants and accept payments on their behalf after getting a
licence.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. Karnataka Bank wins Prathista
Puraskar under Digidhan Award 2021-22: the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) honored
The Karnataka Bank with the ‘Prathista Puraskar’ under the ‘Digidhan
Awards 2021-22’. Reason: To achieve the target with the highest percentage
in BHIM-UPI transactions in the private sector bank category. DigiDhan award is
a recognition for the top-performing banks in the digital
payments space. MD& CEO of Karnataka Bank: Mahabaleshwara MS Karnataka
Bank HQ: Mangaluru
2. Kantara’s Rishab Shetty wins ‘Most Promising Actor Award’ at DPIFF 2023: Kantara movie actor & director, Rishab Shetty will be honored with the Most Promising Actor Award at the Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival (DPIFF) Award 2023 on February 20 in Mumbai. He was awarded for his stellar performance in the Kannada film, Kantara. Rishab Shetty is an Indian actor and filmmaker primarily working in Kannada cinema. DPIFF was founded in 2012 and established in 2016. DPIFF CEO: Abhishek Mishra
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