NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Government
appoints Chief Justice of Allahabad, Chhattisgarh, and Patna HC: The government has cleared the appointment of new Chief Justices to
Allahabad, Chhattisgarh, and Patna High Courts. Justice Pritinker
Diwaker has been appointed as the Chief Justice of Allahabad High
Court. Justice Ramesh Sinha of Allahabad has been appointed as Chief
Justice of Chhattisgarh High Court. Justice K Vinod Chandaran of Kerala
High Court as Chief Justice of Patna HC. In February 2023, the SC
Collegium recommended several judges as Chief Justices of HC.
2. Indian Army, IAF hold multi-domain exercise in Eastern Theatre: The Indian
Army and Indian Air Force have conducted a 96-hour
multi-domain air and land exercise named ‘Vayu Prahar’ in the eastern
sector. The exercise was conducted in the second week of March 2023 to
formulate plans that can lead to synergy in multi-domain operations. The scope
of the joint exercise included the rapid mobilisation of a rapid reaction force
from the hinterland. Chief of Army Staff: General Manoj Pande Chief of the
Air Staff: Vivek Ram Chaudhari
3. CCEA
approves MSP for Raw Jute at 5,050 rupees per quintal for 2023-24: Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has
approved Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Raw Jute at 5,050
rupees per quintal for 2023-24. The approval is based on the Commission
for Agricultural Costs and Prices recommendations. This would ensure a return
of 63.20% over the all-India weighted average cost of production. The Jute
Corporation of India will continue as Central Government Nodal Agency to
undertake Price Support Operations and the losses incurred, if any.
4. Rajasthan
becomes first state to guarantee right to health:
Rajasthan becomes the first state in India to pass the
'Right to Health (RTH) Bill'. Under this bill, private hospitals will not
be able to charge emergency patients and will be compensated by the state.
Free healthcare services including diagnostics, drugs, emergency transport,
emergency care, and procedure will be provided at public institutions. In the
case of medico-legal nature, no private or public hospital can delay
treatment on grounds of police clearance.
5. Finance
Secretary T V Somanathan to head panel on pension schemes: FM Nirmala Sitharaman has announced the government
has established a committee to review the New Pension System
(NPS). The panel is headed by finance secretary TV Somanathan. From
January 2004, the government has opted to move to NPS for all new recruits,
with the government employees contributing 10% of their salary towards pension
and the govt making a matching contribution. Recently, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh,
Jharkhand, HP, and Punjab have decided to opt out of NPS.
6. Health Minister chairs 36th Board Meeting of Stop TB
Partnership: Union Minister of Health & Family
Welfare Dr Mansukh Mandaviya has chaired the 36th Board Meeting
of the Stop TB Partnership in New Delhi. India has identified three important
health priorities under the G20 Presidency and all of these are focused on
universal health coverage and relevant to our response for TB elimination. A
lot of extraordinary work is being done on the ground through innovations in TB
case finding, mathematical modelling, digital interventions and surveillance. Efforts
are being made to bring innovative strategies like Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt
Bharat Abhiyan, which will be a unique campaign of its kind in the world.
7. Lok Sabha approves Rs 1.18 lakh crore budget for Jammu
and Kashmir: The Lok Sabha
passed the over Rs 1.18 lakh crore budget for the Union Territory of
Jammu and Kashmir for 2023-24. The 35% capital expenditure at Rs 41, 491cr is
to be spent on development and infrastructure. The expected revenue receipts
are Rs 1,06,061 crore, whereas revenue expenditure is expected to be Rs 77,009
crore. The economy of Jammu and Kashmir is expected to grow at 10%.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Earth
Hour 2023 observed on March 25: Earth Hour was
observed annually on the last Saturday of March from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm. In
2023, this day was observed on March 25 at 8.30 pm local time. It is
a worldwide movement organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to
encourage individuals, communities, and businesses to turn off
non-essential electric lights for one hour. It was first started in
Sydney, Australia on March 31, 2007, at 7:30 pm local time and has since
gained popularity and momentum.
2. 26 % of world’s population does not have safe drinking
water: UNESCO report: According to a report published
by UNESCO at the United Nations 2023 Water Conference in New
York, 26 percent of the world’s population does not have access to safe
drinking water. As per the report, between two and three billion people experience
water shortages for at least one month per year, posing severe risks to
livelihoods, notably through food security and access to electricity. The
global urban population facing water scarcity is projected to double from 930
million in 2016 to 1.7 to 2.4 billion people in 2050. The growing incidence of
extreme and prolonged droughts is also stressing ecosystems, with dire
consequences for both plant and animal species.
3. 25 March – International Day of Unborn Child: The International Day of the Unborn
Child is observed annually on 25 March to commemorate the opposition to
abortion. The day is associated with the late Pope John Paul II who opposed the
medical procedure of abortion. Theme 2023- The dignity and value of
children yet-to-be-born. This day honours the millions of unborn children who
died due to abortions. This day serves as a reminder that all human lives are
special. Every single human life is valuable and has dignity from the moment of
conception. The nations mark this day as a show of opposition against abortion.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. Indian
Duo of Satwik-Chirag wins Swiss Open Super 300 title 2023: India’s men’s doubles badminton pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy
and Chirag Shetty won the Swiss Open Super 300 title in
2023, held in Basel, Switzerland. They beat Ren Xiang Yu and Tan
Qiang from China by 21-19, and 24-22. Other winners:
· Men's singles: Koki Watanabe (Japan)
· Women's singles: Pornpawee Chochuwong (Thailand)
· Women's doubles: Rena Miyaura and Ayako Sakuramoto (Japan)
· Mixed doubles: Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin (China)
BANKING AND FINANCE
2. Karur
Vysya Bank, SBI Life in bancassurance tie-up in life insurance: Karur Vysya Bank signed an agreement as an additional
bancassurance partner in the life insurance category with SBI Life. Under this
arrangement, banks earn additional revenue from the sale of insurance products
via commission. And, insurance companies can reach a wider set of customers
without increasing their manpower. Bancassurance: It is an arrangement
between a bank and an insurance firm through which the insurer sell its
products to the bank's customers.
3. Asian
Development Bank to provide Rs 754 crore loan to SAEL Industries: Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide a loan of up to Rs
754 crore to SAEL Industries Ltd for setting up biomass power plants
in Rajasthan. SAEL is a solar and agricultural waste-to-energy company. It
has developed a business model where crop residues are used as fuel in
waste-to-energy projects. The company aims to grow its portfolio to 3.5
GW over the next four years by adding 100 MW of new biomass and 600 MW of
new solar capacity annually.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. Isha
Ambani won GenNext Entrepreneur award at Forbes India Leadership event: Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd Director, Isha Ambani won
the GenNext Entrepreneur Award at the 12th Forbes India
Leadership Awards 2023. She is the head of the $800 billion Reliance Retail
Ventures Ltd and launched the JioMart.
Other
awardees:
· CEO of the year: CK Venkataraman (MD of Titan)
· Lifetime Achievement Award: AM Naik (Chairman L&T)
· Emerging Innovator: Pawan Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka (founders
of Skyroot Aerospace)
· Turnaround Star: Tata Communications
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