NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Govt appoints two Managing Directors at LIC: The government has appointed two Managing Directors (MD) of the
Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) - M Jagannath and Tablesh
Pandey. M Jagannath took the charge as MD on March 13, 2023. Before
this, he was working as the Zonal Manager of South Central Zone, Hyderabad and While
Tablesh Pandey is an Executive Director at the Central office of LIC in
Mumbai and will take charge on April 1, 2023. Pandey will replace
present managing director B C Patnaik.
2. DRDO successfully conducts flight test of Power Take
off Shaft on LCA Tejas: DRDO has successfully conducted a flight test of the Power
Take Off (PTO) Shaft on Light Combat Aircraft (LCA Tejas) Limited
Series Production (LSP)-3 aircraft in Bengaluru. The PTO shaft is
indigenously designed and developed by the Combat Vehicles Research &
Development Establishment (CVRDE), Chennai. The PTO shaft is a critical
component in the aircraft. It supports the requirements of future fighter
aircraft and their variants and offers competitive costs.
3. Atal Innovation Mission launches ATL Sarthi: Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) - NITI
Aayog launched ATL Sarthi. It is a comprehensive self-monitoring
framework to strengthen the ecosystem of Atal Tinkering Labs. Atal
Innovation Mission has established Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATL) in
schools to foster curiosity, creativity, and imagination in young minds. ATL
Sarthi is a charioteer and will enable the Atal Tinkering Labs to be
efficient and effective. Mission Director AIM, NITI Aayog: Dr. Chintan
Vaishnav
4. Mary Kom, Farhan Akhtar roped in as brand ambassadors
of Women's Boxing: The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) appointed legendary
boxer MC Mary Kom and actor Farhan Akhtar as the brand ambassadors of the IBA
Women’s World Championships 2023. BFI also unveiled the title sponsor,
Mahindra Automotive for the event. The championship is scheduled from
March 15 to 26 at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex in New Delhi. India is
hosting the World Championships for the third time. President, Boxing
Federation of India: Ajay Singh
5. 13th edition of Exercise Bold Kurukshetra concluded: The 13th edition of a bilateral armour
exercise, EX Bold Kurukshetra, between India and Singapore was
concluded on March 13, 2023, at Jodhpur Military Station, India. The
ten-day-long joint training that commenced on March 5, fostered a common
understanding of mechanized warfare in emerging threats and evolving
technologies. It involved soldiers from the 42nd Battalion, Singapore
Armoured Regiment and Armoured Brigade of the Indian Army.
6. BIS launches 'Learning Science via Standards'
initiative for students: The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has launched the ‘Learning Science
via Standards’ series for students. Focus: Aimed to use scientific
concepts, principles, and laws to help students understand their practical
applications in manufacturing, functioning, and testing of quality characteristics
of different products This series is in a continuum with an earlier BIS
initiative under which ‘Standards Clubs’ are being established in educational
institutions.
7. IIT Guwahati partnered with Sathya Sai Hospital for
cardiac research: The Indian Institute of Technology
Guwahati has signed an MoU with Sri Sathya Sai Heart Hospital,
Ahmedabad to foster Cardiac research. It was signed to provide digital
transformation, degradation, and information sharing related to cardiac
diseases. In collaboration with IIT Guwahati, we are looking forward to proceed
with an R&D-led approach to find the cause of cardiac diseases and prevent
it by sharing knowledge with respective stakeholders. The Government of Assam
has also inked an MoU with the Hospital to conduct sophisticated heart
surgeries on 500 children
8. India’s retail inflation drops to 6.44% in February
2023: According to
the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation,
India’s consumer price inflation (CPI) based inflation eased marginally
to 44 percent in February 2023. This is lower than 6.52 percent in January
but still above the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) upper tolerance limit of 6
percent. The rural inflation was 6.72 percent and urban inflation was 6.10
percent. The combined food inflation was also near 6 percent limit at 5.95
percent. It was 6 percent in January. The RBI has raised its benchmark repo
rate by 250 basis points since May last year. According to reports, there is
expectations of another 25 basis points hike to 6.75 percent in April before it
hits the pause button. The RBI earlier lowered the CPI forecast to 6.5 percent
for the current fiscal from 6.7 percent. Before that in December, the inflation
was at a one-year low of 5.72 percent.
9. Shreya Ghodawat appointed as India’s ambassador of
‘She Changes Climate’: Climate entrepreneur Shreya Ghodawat has been
appointed as India’s ambassador for She Changes Climate. The global
non-profit organization launched a special initiative for International Women’s
Day titled ‘Embrace Equity’ that aims to amplify the voices of women around the
impacts of climate change. The campaign promotes the role of women in
accelerating climate change. According to UN Women, more than 150 countries
have laws that discriminate against women.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. World Consumer Rights Day 2023: March 15: World Consumer Rights Day is celebrated on March 15 every
year to raise awareness about consumer rights and promote consumer
protection. 2023 Theme: Empowering Consumers Through Clean Energy Transitions This
day was first observed on March 15, 1983, which was inspired by US
President John Fitzgerald Kennedy's US Congress address on March 15, 1962. He
addressed the issue of consumer rights and laid emphasis on its importance.
2. OpenAI launches 'GPT-4' with higher accuracy: The artificial intelligence research
company, OpenAI has unveiled its new and more advanced model called GPT-4.
The latest version is more creative and accurate in its response. It
has better problem-solving capabilities than ChatGPT (developed by
OpenAI). GPT-4 is a large multimodal model, which cannot outperform humans
in real-world scenarios but can exhibit “human-level performance on
various professional and academic benchmarks.
3. India signed MoC with Sweden to promote research
networking: India and Sweden signed a Memorandum of
Cooperation (MoC) to strengthen cooperation and promote research
networking between research institutions from both countries. The MoC aims to
promote mobility funding opportunities in both countries. It will facilitate
academic cooperation through mobility activities as well as through seminars,
workshops, and conferences This partnership will take forward joint Science and
Technology efforts particularly in smart cities, Al, and many more.
4. International Conference on ‘Buddhist Heritage’ begins
in New Delhi: An international conference
on ‘Shared Buddhist Heritage’ started in New Delhi. It is being organized with
a focus on India’s civilizational connection with the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization (SCO) nations 2023. India is also going to host SCO Tourism
Ministers’ Meeting (TMM) on 17th -18th March 2023 in Kashi. The conference on
‘Shared Buddhist Heritage’ is a first-of-its-kind event under India’s
leadership of SCO. It brings together Central Asian, East Asian, South Asian
and Arab countries on a common platform to discuss ‘Shared Buddhist Heritage’. The
SCO countries comprise of member states, observer states and dialogue partners,
including China, Russia, and Mongolia.
5. 14 March – International Day Of Action For Rivers: The International Day of Action for
Rivers is observed every year on March 14 to raise awareness of
how crucial rivers are to our daily lives.
The
day also seeks to spread awareness about unequal access to clean water and the
growing pollution of freshwater habitats like rivers as a result of blatant
human activity. This year the 26th International Day of Action for Rivers is
being celebrated. Theme 2023 – Rights of Rivers The first International Day of
Action for Rivers was observed in March 1997.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. Mahindra Auto becomes title sponsor of IBA Women’s
Boxing Championship: The Boxing Federation of India
(BFI) has signed Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. as its title sponsor
for the International Boxing Association (IBA) Women’s World Boxing
Championships 2023. MC Mary Kom and Bollywood actor Farhan Akhtar were also
appointed brand ambassadors for the championship. The tournament will be held
from 15 March 2023 in Indira Gandhi Sports Complex, New Delhi. India is hosting
the event for the third time in its history.
2. Ashleigh Gardner & Harry Brook won ICC Player of
the Month for February: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the winners
of the ICC Player of the Month awards for February 2023. Australia’s
Ashleigh Gardner was named the ICC Women’s Player of the Month, and England’s
Harry Brook was named the ICC Men’s Player of the Month. Ashleigh Gardner was
awarded the award for her performance in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 held in
South Africa.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. Wholesale inflation falls to two-year low of 3.85% in
February: Wholesale Price-based Inflation (WPI) has
been eased to two years low of 3.85% in February 2023 against 4.73% recorded
in January 2023. It will primarily contribute to the fall in the prices of
crude petroleum, food products, electronics, chemicals, and electrical
equipment. In February, fuel and power rose 14.82% as compared to 15.15% in
January 2023. While the food index stood at 2.76% (Feb 2023) against 2.95% (Jan
2023). Retail inflation (Feb 2023): 6.44%
2. RBI has allowed banks from 18 countries to trade in
rupee: RBI has granted approval
to foreign banks in 18 countries to open Vostro accounts to settle international
trade in rupees. 18 Countries: Botswana, Fiji, Germany, Guyana, Israel,
Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, New Zealand, Oman, Russia, Seychelles,
Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uganda, and UK MoS Finance, Bhagwat Karad
informed in the Rajya Sabha. In July 2022, govt informed that it would set up a
mechanism to settle international trade in rupees.
3. CCI approves Reliance’s acquisition of METRO Cash
& Carry India: The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved
Reliance Industries Ltd to acquire the German firm Metro AG's wholesale
operations in India for ₹2,850 crore. On 22 December 2022, Reliance Retail
Ventures Ltd (RRVL) signed definitive agreements to acquire a 100% equity
stake in Metro Cash & Carry India Pvt Ltd. Metro started operations in
India in 2003 as the first company to introduce a cash-and-carry business
format in the country.
4. Suryodaya Small Finance Bank launched Blossom Women’s
Savings Account: Suryoday Small Finance Bank has launched
a new savings account for women customers called the Blossom Women’s
savings account. The account is designed to provide women with a safe and
secure platform to save and grow their money with best of the interest rate and
a wide range of exclusive benefits and privileges. Suryoday Small Finance Bank
has announced the launch of ‘Blossom Women’s Savings Account’ with 7 percent
per annum interest rate with monthly interest credit. Additionally, specially
designed RuPay Platinum Debit Card offering discount on shopping and online
purchases will also be available with the account. CEO of Suryoday SFB – R
Baskar Babu
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. Tamil writer Perumal Murugan's novel longlisted for
Booker Prize 2023: Tamil writer Perumal Murugan's novel
'Pyre' has been selected for the International Booker prize longlist
for 2023. This book is a translation of his original Tamil book
'Pukkuli' which tells the story of an inter-caste couple who elope,
setting in motion a story of terrifying foreboding. Aniruddhan Vasudevan
translated this novel into the English language in 2016. Prize money:
£50,000, will be split equally between the author and translator.
2. Gyan Chaturvedi awarded Vyas Samman 2022 for
‘Pagalkhana: Noted Hindi writer Dr. Gyan
Chaturvedi’s 2018 satirical novel, Pagalkhana, has been selected for
the 32nd Vyas Samman 2022. Instituted by the KK Birla Foundation in 1991,
the annual Vyas Samman is given to an outstanding Hindi literary work by an
Indian citizen published during the last 10 years. It carries an award money of
₹4 lakh. After considering the works published during 2012-2021, a selection
committee headed by eminent litterateur Prof Ramji Tiwari picked Dr.
Chaturvedi’s Pagalkhana (mental asylum) for the prestigious Vyas Samman. Besides
the Vyas Samman, the KK Birla Foundation has also instituted Saraswati Samman
and Bihari Puraskar. While the Saraswati Samman, which carries an amount of ₹15
lakh, is given to an outstanding literary work of an Indian citizen in any of
the languages included in Schedule VIII to the Constitution of India and
published during a period of 10 years, the Bihari Puraskar with an amount of
₹2.5 lakh is meant for Hindi/Rajasthani writers of Rajasthan.
OBITUARIES
1. Veteran actor Sameer Khakhar passes away: Actor Sameer Khakhar, best known for his role in the iconic television show Nukkad, has died at 71 due to respiratory and other medical problems. He rose to fame with his roles in TV shows ‘Nukkad’ and ‘Circus’. He was also featured in ‘Shrimaan Shrimati’, and ‘Adaalat’. He also played vital roles in films, including ‘Hasee Toh Phasee’, ‘Jai Ho’, and ‘Patel Ki Punjabi Shaadi’. He was last seen in the OTT series ‘Farzi’.
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