Daily GK Update- 24th Mar, 2023

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. FSIB shortlisted Siddhartha Mohanty as new Chairman of LIC: The Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB) has selected Siddhartha Mohanty as the new chairman of the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC). As per the guidelines, the chairman is selected from the four managing directors of the company. At present, he is an MD of LIC and was earlier given interim charge as chairman for a period of three months, effective from March 14, 2023. The final decision will be taken by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.

 

2. UIDAI, SETS join hands to conduct R&D in deep-tech: The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and the Society for Electronic Transactions and Security (SETS) collaborated to do joint R&D leading for the development of tools and products in deep tech domains. Both organizations will also conduct joint research on emerging tech areas like Cyber Security, IoT Security, etc. Aim: To improve self-reliance on information and cyber security and to reduce dependence on tools developed outside the country.

 

3. Defence Ministry, BEL sign MoU to enhance operational capabilities of IAF: The Defence Ministry signed two separate contracts with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) at a total cost of over Rs 3,700 crore. Reason: To enhance the operational capabilities of the Indian Air Force (IAF) First contract: Worth over Rs 2,800 crore, pertains to the supply of Medium Power Radars (MPR) ‘Arudhra’ for the IAF. Second contract: Worth over Rs 950 crore, relates to 129 DR-118 Radar Warning Receivers (RWR) Both projects are under Buy Indian- IDMM category.

 

4. Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar launches DigiClaim: Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar launched a DigiClaim, under the ambit of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana for claim disbursal through National Crop Insurance Portal. With the DigiClaim Module, insurance claims of over 1,260 crore rupees have been disbursed to insured farmers of six states on March 23, 2023. The states are Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, and Haryana.

 

5. PM Modi addressed the One World TB Summit held in Varanasi: PM Modi addressed the One World TB Summit 2023 at Rudrakash Convention Centre, Varanasi on the occasion of World Tuberculosis Day (March 24). Organized by: Health and Family Welfare Ministry and Stop TB Partnership In March 2018, the PM called on India to achieve TB-related SDG targets by 2025. The PM also awarded select States/UTs and districts for their progress toward ending TB. State level: Karnataka and J&K District level: Nilgiris, Pulwama, and Anantnag

 

6. Ashneer Grover launched cricket fantasy sports app ‘CrickPe’: BharatPe co-founder Ashneer Grover launched a cricket-focused fantasy sports app called CrickPe. The launch comes ahead of the marquee Indian Premier League (IPL) tournament that is set to begin on March 31, 2023.

This sports app can be available on the Google Play store and Apple store. He has raised about $4 million in seed funding for his venture Third Unicorn Pvt Ltd. Notably, the cricket app has been launched to take on rivals like Dream11, MPL, and My11Circle.

 

7. Bhupender Yadav chaired 1st General Body Meeting of NCSCM: Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav has chaired the 1st General Body Meeting of the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) in New Delhi. He emphasized the Blue Economy which focuses on sustainable and climate-resilient coastal infrastructure and livelihoods of coastal communities. The minister also directed the NCSCM to contribute to Mission Mishti (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Income) for mangrove conservation with a focus on generating income for coastal communities. NCSCM was established in February 2011, as a research institution to support the protection, conservation, restoration, management, and policy advice on coasts. The vision of NCSCM is to promote sustainable coasts through increased partnerships, conservation practices, scientific research, and knowledge management for the benefit and well-being of current and future generations.

 

8. Assam CM launched Mission Lifestyle for Environment: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has launched the Mission Lifestyle for Environment (LIFE) in the state. It promotes an environmentally conscious lifestyle, focusing on utilization instead of wasteful consumption. Under this initiative, week-long activities will be carried out across all districts, addressing seven identified categories including saving energy and water and reducing plastic and e-waste. Over the last two years, the state government has cleared over six thousand acres of land by evicting encroachers, and this is a small step towards creating a healthy environment.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. India, UK hold joint maritime exercise 'Konkan' in Arabian Sea: A joint maritime exercise, Konkan 2023 was conducted between the Royal Navy of Britain and the Indian Navy from 20-22 March has concluded in the Arabian Sea. It is a joint drill by the two navies to demonstrate operational readiness, enhancing interoperability and improving the ability to conduct joint operations. INS Trishul, a guided missile frigate, and HMS Lancaster participated. It covered all domains of maritime operations, air, surface, and subsurface.

 

2. 26 % of world's population does not have safe drinking water: According to UN World Water Development Report 2023, about 26% of the world's population does not have safe drinking water and 46% lack access to safely managed sanitation. Between 2-3 billion, people experience water shortages for at least 1 month per year. This poses severe risks to livelihoods and access to electricity. The global urban population facing water scarcity is projected to double from 930 million (2016) to 1.7 -2.4 billion (2050).

 

3. World Tuberculosis Day 2023: 24 March: World Tuberculosis Day is observed every year on March 24 to educate the world about the impact of tuberculosis, globally. The theme for 2023 World Tuberculosis Day is "Yes! We can end TB!". On March 24, 1882, Dr. Robert Koch announced the discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes tuberculosis. The elimination of Tuberculosis is one of the sustainable development targets to be achieved by 2030 by the world.

 

4. QS World University Rankings: IIT Bombay ranked first in country: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay has been ranked 1st in India and 47th globally in engineering and technology by the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings for 2023. The institute scored 80.4 out of 100. The institute is ranked in 4 out of 5 broad subject areas, which include Engineering & Technology, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences & Management and Arts & Humanities. The institute has been ranked (51-100) for Art and Design, 66th for Computer Science & Information Technology, 51-100 for Civil & Structural Engineering, 77th for Chemical Engineering, 54th for Electrical & Electronics Engineering, 68th for Mechanical, Aeronautical & Manufacturing Engineering, and 37th for Minerals & Mining. Delhi University has the highest number of entries (27) among Indian universities, followed by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay (25), and IIT Kharagpur (23). In the thirteenth edition of the QS World University Rankings by Subject, 66 universities from India have been ranked. Collectively, these universities have achieved 355 entries, which represents an 18.7% increase from the previous year’s 299 entries. The universities were evaluated in five broad areas, including engineering and technology, arts and humanities, life sciences and medicine, natural science, and social sciences and management.

 

5. Microsoft introduces ‘Bing Image Creator’ powered by OpenAI’s DALL-E: Microsoft has introduced a new feature ‘Bing Image Creator’ to the new Bing and Edge preview, which allows users to create an image simply by using their own words to describe the picture they want to see — powered by an advanced version of the Open AI’s DALL-E model. Bing Image Creator integrated into Bing chat has started to roll out to Bing preview users, also it is available in Microsoft Edge from the Image Creator icon in the sidebar for both desktop and mobile users around the world in English. It will soon integrate Image Creator into Edge from the new Bing button in chat mode in the preview version of Edge.

 

6.  Narasimhan assumed charge as new CEO of Starbucks: Indian-origin Laxman Narasimhan has assumed role of the CEO of Starbucks taking over from founder Howard Schultz. Prior to his appointment, Narasimhan served as the chief executive of Reckitt, a company that owns brands such as Lysol, Durex, and Mucinex Before this, Narasimhan held various leadership roles at PepsiCo. Founded in 1971, Starbucks today has over 34,000 stores worldwide.

 

7. 23 March – World Meteorological Day: World Meteorological Day is observed on March 23 every year to celebrate the formation of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). This day marks the significance of the interconnectedness between human behaviour and the Earth’s atmosphere. Theme 2023 – The Future of Weather, Climate and Water across Generations. This day has been celebrated since 1961 with different themes. It reflects the important contribution of the meteorological department to the safety and welfare of the countries. The World Meteorological Organisation was established on March 23, 1950.

 

8. 24 March – World Tuberculosis Day: World Tuberculosis Day is observed every year on 24 March. Objective – To raise awareness about tuberculosis and encourage timely action to combat the global TB epidemic. This is a highly infectious and potentially life-threatening disease. Theme 2023 – Yes! We can end TB! The first World TB Day was observed in 1982, 100 years after Dr. Robert Koch discovered the bacterium that causes TB. Since then, the day has become an important occasion to educate people about the symptoms, transmission, and prevention of TB.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. India wins both men's and women's Asian Kho Kho Championship title 2023: The host India clinched both men's and women's titles of the Asian Kho Kho Championship 2023 held at Tamulpur in Assam. In the women's category, Indian Eves defeated Nepal by an inning and 33 points. On the other hand, the men's team also defeated Nepal by an inning and six points. India remained unbeaten in both categories throughout the tournament. A total of nine countries participated in the event.

 

2. India wins one silver and one bronze in ISSF World Cup championship 2023: India's world champions, Rudraksh Patil and R. Narmada Nitin secured the bronze in the 10m air rifle mixed team event at the ISSF 2023, held in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. While Varun Tomar and Rhythm Sangwan won silver in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team Competition. With these medals, India's medal tally to three including one gold, one silver, and one bronze. China topped the medal tally with three gold and two bronze medals.

 

3. Sarabjot Singh won gold in 10m air pistol at ISSF World Cup: India’s pistol shooter, Sarabjot Singh has clinched the gold medal in the men’s 10m Air Pistol event at the ISSF Rifle and Pistol World Cup 2023 held in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. While Varun Tomar secured bronze in the same event. In the women’s 10m Air Pistol event, Li Xue from China won the gold and Germany’s Doreen Vennekamp settled for silver. China’s Qian Wei completed the podium with a bronze medal finish.

 

 

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Egypt officially becomes member of BRICS New Development Bank: Egypt joined the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB) as an official member. Egypt completed all the necessary procedures to become an eligible member on February 20, 2023. About NDB: BRICS' New Development bank was established in July 2014, after an intergovernmental agreement was signed by the partner nations at the sixth BRICS summit in Fortaleza. NDB bank includes India, Brazil, Russia, China, and South Africa as member countries.

 

2. RBI to set up Data Centre & Cybersecurity Training Institute in Bhubaneswar: RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das has laid the foundation stone for the establishment of a “Greenfield Data Centre’ and ‘Enterprise Computing & Cybersecurity Training Institute’ in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

The new Data Centre and the Enterprise Computing & Cybersecurity Training Institute spread over an area of 18.55 acres, when commissioned, will cater to the emerging requirements of the RBI and the financial sector. It will cater to the emerging requirements of the RBI and the financial sector. The Governor also highlighted the need for augmenting the existing computing infrastructure of the RBI supported by cutting-edge facilities for research and capacity building.

 

3. Income tax dept launched mobile app ‘AIS for Taxpayer: The Income Tax Department has launched a Mobile app namely ‘AIS for Taxpayer’. Objective – To facilitate taxpayers to view their information as available in the Annual Information Statement (AIS) or Taxpayer Information Summary (TIS). The app has been developed aiming at providing a comprehensive view of the AIS/TIS to the taxpayer, displaying the information collected from various sources pertaining to the taxpayer. In the app, taxpayers can view various information related to TDS, interest, share transactions, tax payments, Income Tax refunds, and GST Data among others. It will also have the option and the facility to provide feedback.

 

4. Amazon Pay ties up with NPCI’s Bharat BillPay for loan repayments: Amazon Pay has collaborated with Bharat BillPay, the biller platform of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), to strengthen its loan repayment facility. The loan repayment category is one of the top categories in terms of bill payment amongst other options such as electricity and municipal Tax. The category facilitates loan repayment options for customers who avail of their loans through banks, microfinance institutions, and NBFCs.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Veteran journalist and Padma Shri awardee Abhay Chhajlani passes away: Veteran journalist and former editor-in-chief of popular Hindi daily Naidunia Abhay Chhajlani passed away at 88 due to health-related issues. He entered the field of journalism in 1955 and graduated from the Thomson Foundation, Cardiff (UK). He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2009 for his outstanding contribution to journalism. He also served as the president of the Indian Language Newspaper Association (ILNA) and Indian Newspaper Society (INS).