NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. First SAI 20
Senior Officers Meeting begins in Guwahati: As part of the G20 summit, the first
Supreme Audit Institution 20 (SAI20) Senior Officers Meeting is being organized
in Guwahati on March 13 and will continue till March 15, 2023. Theme
2023: Blue Economy’ and ‘Responsible Artificial Intelligence Aim: To
bring together an ecosystem wherein SAIs are active partners in governance,
promoting transparency and accountability. SAI20 meeting was chaired by
the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Girish Chandra Murmu.
2. PM Modi
dedicates Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway in Karnataka to nation: PM Modi has dedicated
the 10-lane and 118-km-long, Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway in Karnataka to
the nation. It was constructed at a cost of over 8400 crore rupees. It
will reduce the travel time between Bengaluru and Mysuru from three
hours to about 75 minutes and boost connectivity and
socio-economic growth in Karnataka. He also laid the foundation stone for
the Mysuru-Kushalnagar highway. He also inaugurated the World’s longest
railway platform at Hubballi station.
3. Central Railway
achieves 100 % electrification of broad gauge network: The Central
Railway has achieved 100% electrification of its broad
gauge network of 3,825 kilometers. The CSMT-headquartered zonal
railway informed that the 52-kilometer Ausa Road-Latur Road
stretch in the Solapur division was the last non-electrified
section and its electrification was completed in March 2023. This move helps
in reducing carbon footprints of 5.204 lakh tonnes every year as well
as savings of 1670 crore rupees.
4. New initiative
'beggar-free city' started in Nagpur: A new initiative called 'beggar-free
city' has been started in Nagpur, Maharashtra. Commissioner of Police of Nagpur
City, Amitesh Kumar informed that notification of 144 CrPC has been issued in
this regard. Notices have been served to people. The Nagpur police will
strictly enforce this and begging will not be allowed in public places. This
is the joint venture of Nagpur City police and Nagpur Municipal
Corporation’s (NMC) social welfare department.
5. Nitin Gadkari
unveiled first methanol run buses in Bengaluru: Union Minister for Road and
Transport Nitin Gadkari unveiled Bengaluru’s first methanol-run buses. The
project is aimed at reducing the level of emissions and the Bengaluru
Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) NITI Aayog, Indian Oil Corporation
(IOC) and Ashok Leyland are conducting the project together.
The concept of the ‘Methanol Economy’ is
being actively pursued by China, Italy, Sweden, Israel, the US, Australia,
Japan, and many other European countries. In the pilot project, the BMTC is
planning to launch 80 buses that will run on methanol fuel and 20 Ashok Leyland
buses will also be introduced in the initial phases. As part of the project,
the Indian Oil Corporation will provide free diesel and methanol for three
months. Methanol can be blended with gasoline or used as a standalone fuel in
vehicles with modified engines. It has a high octane rating, which means it can
improve engine performance and reduce harmful emissions.
6. First Supreme
Audit Institution (SAI20) meeting begins in Guwahati: The first Supreme
Audit Institution 20 (SAI20) Senior Officers Meeting (SOM) has begun in
Guwahati with the themes -‘Blue Economy’ and ‘Responsible Artificial
Intelligence’. The SAI20 is aimed at bringing together an ecosystem wherein
SAIs are active partners in governance, promoting transparency and accountability.
The delegates from G20 member countries, guest countries, and other
International Organisations would attend the SAI20 event. SAIs of Australia,
Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, Oman, the Republic of Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia,
Türkiye, and UAE will be participating in person.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. India and
Australia sign audio-visual co-production agreement: India and
Australia signed an audio-visual co-production agreement to
offer filmmakers financial incentives amounting to up to 30% of the
expenditure incurred in the respective countries. The agreement was signed
by I&B Secretary Apurva Chandra and Australian High Commissioner Barry
O'Farrell. Australia is the 16th country with which India has a
co-production agreement. It would benefit mainly small filmmakers keen on
shooting movies in that country.
2. India, US sign
MoU to build resilient supply chain in semiconductor sector: India and the US inked
an initial pact on increasing private-sector cooperation in the area of
semiconductors.
The two countries would facilitate
business opportunities and develop an ecosystem with a view to reducing their
dependency on China and Taiwan. Both sides have agreed to set up a
semiconductor sub-committee, led by the Department of Commerce for the US side
and MeitY and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for the Indian side.
3. World Food
India-2023 to take place on 3-5 November in New Delhi: The second edition of
'World Food India-2023’ will be organized from 3-5 November 2023 at
Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. The event will be organized by the Ministry of
Food Processing Industries. During the event, Union Minister Pashupati Kumar
Paras outlined pivotal elements of the WFI-2023 as Millets-
‘Shree Anna-The Super Food of India’, Innovation and Sustainability ‘Green
Food’, White Revolution 2.0, making India an export hub and focus on technology
and digitisation.
4. IRCTC to start
‘Bharat Nepal Ashtha Yatra Tour’: Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) announced
to run on 31 March 2023, “Bharat Nepal Ashtha Yatra” tour package. It will run
under the Bharat Gaurav Tourists train which will showcase four important
pilgrimage and heritage destination in the 10 days tour. The Bharat Gaurav
Tourist Train launch is in line with the Government of India initiative “Dekho
Apna Desh” to promote special interest circuits in domestic tourism. The train
will depart from Jalandar but have boarding from Delhi Safdarjung. The
departure date of the Bharat Nepal Ashtha Yatra is from 31 March 2023. The
destinations that will be covered in this 10 days tour are: Ram Janmbhoomi
temple, Hanuman Garhi, SaryuGhat, Nandigram in Ayodhya; Pashupatinath Temple,
Darbar Squire, Swaymbhunath Stupa in Kathmandu; Tulsi Manas temple,
SankatMochan temple, Kashi Vishwanath Corridor and temple, Ganga Aarti at
VaranasGhat in Varanasi; and Ganga – Yamuna Sangam, Hanuman temple in
Prayagraj.
OTHER UPDATES:
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. India's digital
payments market will more than triple to $10 trillion: According to the report, released
by PhonePe and Boston Consulting Group, India's digital
payments market will more than triple from $3 trillion to $10 trillion by
2026. In 2015, the Indian government launched its Digital India program, with
the objective to achieve a “faceless, paperless and cashless” status for
financial transactions at the grass-root level. NPCI launched UPI in 2016,
which enables inter-bank transactions through mobile devices instantly.
2. Kochi Metro
becomes first in country to accept e-rupee for parking fee: In an initiative
to promote Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), Kochi Metro has
started accepting digital currency in its parking facilities. With
this, Kochi Metro is the first Metro in the country to accept CBDC. The
program was inaugurated at the parking facility in Thykoodam and
system would be introduced in all other parking areas of the Metro soon The
program was introduced in association with IDFC FIRST Bank partnered with
Anantham Online, a technology startup
3. PNB signed MoU
with Central Warehousing Corporation to facilitate farmers’ financing: Punjab National
Bank has signed an MoU with Central Warehousing Corporation
(CWC) to facilitate financing under e-NWR (Electronic Negotiable
Warehousing Receipt). The partnership is aimed at providing easy access to
finance to farmers/ food processors/ traders against the pledge of agriculture
commodities stored in CWC warehouses.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. RRR Naatu Naatu
wins Best Original Song at the 95th Academy Awards: RRR’s Naatu Naatu has created
history by winning the prestigious Academy Awards 2023 in the Best
Original song category. The music of Naatu Naatu was given by M.
M. Keeravani and Lyrics by Chandrabosedouble-dagger. While India's The
Elephant Whisperers (directed by Kartiki Gonsalves) won the award for
Best Documentary Short Subject.
Best Actress: Michelle Yeoh (Everything
Everywhere All at Once)
Best Actor: Brendan Fraser (The Whale)
2. British Architect David Chipperfield won Pritzker Prize 2023: British architect Sir David Chipperfield has won the Pritzker Architecture Prize 2023, arguably the highest international honour in the discipline. David Chipperfield is the 52nd winner of the award, established in 1979. Francis Kéré (Germany) was awarded the prize in 2022, and Anne Lacton (France) and Jean-Philippe Vasal (France) in 2021. The 45th Pritzker Prize ceremony honoring David Chipperfield will be held in Athens, Greece in May 2023.
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