NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. CAG's 6th SCO SAI Leaders’ Meeting
to begin in Lucknow: The 6th
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Supreme Audit Institutions (SAI)
Leaders’ Meeting is being hosted by the Comptroller and Auditor
General of India (CAG) in Lucknow on 6th February 2023. The meeting
was inaugurated by the Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Anandiben Patel. Theme: 'Integrating
Emerging Technologies in Audit' Discussions topics: Artificial
Intelligence and Cyber Security, and concerns of digital technology. CAG:
Girish Chandra Murmu
2. Youth -20 meeting begins in Guwahati: The first meeting
of the Youth -20 engagement group under India's G20 presidency is
being organized in the IIT-Guwahati campus, Assam on 6th February 2023. Aim: Provide
an opportunity for the students to voice their opinions to the audience
worldwide. More than 150 Youth delegates from G20 countries are set to
participate in the meetings. Over 12000 college and university students also
participated in these events.
Youth Affairs and Sports Minister: Anurag Singh Thakur
3. PM inaugurates India Energy Week
2023 in Bengaluru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated 'India Energy Week 2023'
in Bengaluru, which is being held from 6th to 8th February 2023. Aim: To
showcase India's rising prowess as an energy transition powerhouse It
will bring together leaders from the energy industry, governments, and
academia to discuss the challenges and opportunities that a responsible
energy transition presents. During the program, he has also
launched multiple initiatives in the field of green energy.
4. Govt sets up task force to promote
SSP fertilizer: In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, the Minister of State for Chemicals
and Fertilisers Bhagwant Khuba informed that the government has set up a
task force under the aegis of the Fertiliser Association of
India to improve the quality of Single Super Phosphate (SSP)
fertilizer. Aim: To promote its use as an alternative to Di-ammonium
Phosphate (DAP) The government is promoting the combination of SSP and
urea in a ratio of 3:1 in order to encourage its use among farmers
5. 96th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya
Sammelan begins in Maharashtra: The 96th Akhil
Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, the prestigious literary summit began
in the Wardha district of Maharashtra. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and
School Education, and Marathi language minister Deepak Kesarkar inaugurated it.
The first Marathi Sahitya Sammelan was held in Pune in 1878 under the
chairmanship of Justice Mahadev Govind Ranade. While speaking at the
inauguration ceremony Deepak Kesarkar expressed concern that Marathi schools
are closing down gradually and came out with a suggestion to discuss this issue
in the ongoing literary summit. The government is focussing on imparting the
education in mother tongue and one should consider the fact that those who
studied in their mother tongue became successful in their lives.
6. Azad Engineering is India’s 1st
supplier of parts for nuclear turbine: A
Hyderabad-based market leader in precision engineering, Azad Engineering
Private Limited has been approved as the first Indian
company to supply critical rotating parts for nuclear turbines. The
company has delivered its first set of critical parts. These will now be
assembled on nuclear turbines
manufactured in Belfort, France. Azad Engineering has signed a long-term supply
agreement with General Electric (GE) Steam Power for the supply of nuclear
turbine parts.
7. Vice-President inaugurated 36th
Surajkund handicrafts mela: Vice-President
Jagdeep Dhankhar has inaugurated the 36th International Surajkund
Mela at Faridabad, Haryana. It is an annual event that is organized on a large
scale by the Haryana government from the 4 to 25 February 2023. This year’s
theme state is the north-east region, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization
(SCO) is participating as the partner nation, which includes India, China,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. It is a
platform for artists across the globe to showcase their culture and
talent. It is the world’s biggest crafts fair. In 2013, the mela was
elevated to the international level. Gradually, more and more countries
participated in this fair. Today, this event occupies a prominent place in the
international tourist calendar.
8. India’s unemployment rate declined
to four-month low at 7.14% in January: The unemployment
rate of India declined to 14% in January 2023 (the lowest in
four months) from 8.30% in December 2022. This data was released by the Centre
for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE). The urban unemployment rate declined to
8.55% in January from 10.09% in the previous month. While the rural
unemployment rate slipped to 6.48% from 7.44%. Among the states, unemployment
was the highest in Jammu and Kashmir at 21.8% closely followed by Haryana at
21.7% and Rajasthan at 21.1%. Joblessness in Delhi in January was at 16.7%, Goa
at 16.2%, Assam at 16.1% and Tripura at 16%. On the other hand, as per the data
unemployment was the lowest in states such as Chhattisgarh at 0.5% followed by
Odisha at 1.5%, Tamil Nadu at 1.8% and Madhya Pradesh at 1.9%. Budget 2023 has
also focused on job creation in agritech, education, tourism, infrastructure,
healthcare, financial services, health care and MSME sectors, indicating that
the unemployment rate may continue to fall in the following months.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Bangladesh will receive electricity
from power plant in Jharkhand: Bangladesh minister, Nasrul Hamid has informed that Bangladesh would receive electricity from the Godda
power plant in Jharkhand from March 2023. 750MW of power will come from the first unit of the Adani power plant in Godda in March 2023. Another 750 MW of power will come from the second unit of the Godda power plant in April
2023. The Bangladesh Power
Development Board (BPDB) signed an agreement with the Adani group for importing electricity from its plant at Godda.
2. India, France, UAE join hands to boost ties
in defence, energy: India, France, and the
UAE announced a formal trilateral cooperation initiative in
the areas of defense, nuclear energy, and technology. The Foreign
Ministers of the three countries held a telephonic meeting to
adopt a roadmap for the implementation of this initiative. Aim: To promote
the design and execution of cooperation projects in the fields of energy The
countries will discuss further collaboration and training between their
defense forces.
3. Australia announced removal of
British monarchy from its banknotes: Australia announced that it will erase
the British monarch from its banknotes, replacing the late Queen Elizabeth
II’s image on its $5 note with a design honoring Indigenous culture. The
central bank’s decision to leave her successor Charles III off the $5 note
means no Britain-based monarch will remain on Australia’s paper currency. The
$5 bill was Australia’s only remaining banknote to still feature an image of
the monarch. The existing $5 note will remain legal tender.
4. 4 February – World Cancer Day: World Cancer Day is observed every year on 4
February. This day is marked to raise awareness, provide education, and take
action toward a world where millions of lives can be saved by providing
life-saving cancer treatment for everyone. Theme 2023- Close The Care Gap The
day was first observed in the year 2000 at the first World Summit Against
Cancer in Paris.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. Saudi Arabia to Host Football Asian
Cup 2027: Asian Football
Confederation announced that Saudi Arabia won the hosting of the
Asian Nations Cup 2027, for the first time in its history, since its
inception in 1956. This came during the work of the 33rd Congress of the Asian
Football Confederation (AFC) in the Bahraini capital, Manama. Saudi Arabia was
the only bid presented at the Congress in Manama after India’s withdrawal in
December 2022. While Qatar will host the next edition of the Asian Football Cup
from 26 June 26 to 16 July 2023.
2. Raphael Varane announced his
retirement from international football: France defender Raphael Varane has announced his retirement from
international football. The 29-year-old, who has 93 caps after making his debut
in 2013, also helped Didier Deschamps’s side win the UEFA Nations League in the
2020-21 season. He was a key starter for Les Bleus as they won the World Cup in
2018 and helped Didier Deschamps guide his team to the 2022 showpiece in Qatar.
He began his international career almost ten years ago, on March 22, 2013. He
became only the fourth player in history to win both the World Cup and the
Champions League in the same year.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. Reliance retail becomes first to
accept digital rupee at stores: Reliance Retail has become the first Indian retailer to introduce
Central Bank Digital Currency, also known as the digital rupee. The
company has piloted the use of the Digital Rupee in one store in Mumbai. The
launch of this facility was in collaboration with Innoviti Technologies,
ICICI Bank, and Kotak Mahindra Bank. The RBI first introduced the Digital Rupees
on December 1, 2022. Initially, It is limited to Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru,
and Bhubaneswar
2. RailTel bags ₹253.35 crore project
from SBI for 4G connectivity to ATMs: RailTel Corporation has received Rs.
253.35 crore project from the State Bank of India (SBI) for providing 4G LTE
connectivity to 15,000 offsite ATMs across the country. It will also take care
of the operation and maintenance of the entire network for a period of
five years. The project includes the set-up of a Network Operations Centre
(NOC), backhaul connectivity to the Data centre & Disaster Recovery centre
of SBI, a live dashboard for SLA monitoring, etc.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. Indian music composer, Ricky Kej
wins third Grammy for 'Divine Tides': Indian music composer, Ricky Kej won his third Grammy
Award in the best new age album category for 'Divine
Tides' at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles.
He has shared this award with Stewart Copeland, who collaborated with Kej
on the album. Stewart Copeland is a Drummer of the iconic British rock band The
Police. Record of the Year: About Damn Time by Lizzo Album of the
Year: Harry's House by Harry Styles Song of the Year: Just Like That
OBITUARIES
1. Former Pakistan President Pervez
Musharraf passes away: Former President of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf passed away at the age
of 79 in Dubai. He ruled Pakistan from 1999 to 2008.
He has been declared a fugitive in the former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto murder case and Red Mosque cleric killing case. In March 2014, he was indicted for suspending the Constitution on November 3, 2007. In December 2019, a special court handed Musharraf a death sentence in the high treason case against him.
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